LA PREMIERE
26/08/22
ON THE COUNT OF THREE NEW
website
review by David Black
Pathos and Dark Humour
If you could do anything you want without fear of repercussions, what would you do?
There are a few films that cover this topic, however, they are usually dystopian movies.
In the case of "On The Count Of Three", our two main characters, Val and Kenny,
have entered into a suicide pact. Their "end of the world" scenario is of their own choice.
This movie is quite different to the usual offerings. Set in a country town, it explores issues such as mental health
child abuse and bullying. The strong friendship between Val and Kenny, played beautifully by Jerrod Carmichael
and Christopher Abbott keeps this film from becoming too gloomy.
Christopher plays a man suffering with depression impeccably. The sad, despondent look in his eyes says it all.
Jerrod is likewise excellent as an angry man that sees nothing but a futile existence ahead of him. How did they
get to this stage? Do they want revenge? Do they want absolution? Do they want to revisit the haunts of their
childhood one last time to try and work out where everything went wrong?
I won't tell you, but I will say that things don't always go in a straight line, or pan out the way things are planned.
This film takes you on a journey that both haunt you and make you think.
website
review by David Black
Pathos and Dark Humour
If you could do anything you want without fear of repercussions, what would you do?
There are a few films that cover this topic, however, they are usually dystopian movies.
In the case of "On The Count Of Three", our two main characters, Val and Kenny,
have entered into a suicide pact. Their "end of the world" scenario is of their own choice.
This movie is quite different to the usual offerings. Set in a country town, it explores issues such as mental health
child abuse and bullying. The strong friendship between Val and Kenny, played beautifully by Jerrod Carmichael
and Christopher Abbott keeps this film from becoming too gloomy.
Christopher plays a man suffering with depression impeccably. The sad, despondent look in his eyes says it all.
Jerrod is likewise excellent as an angry man that sees nothing but a futile existence ahead of him. How did they
get to this stage? Do they want revenge? Do they want absolution? Do they want to revisit the haunts of their
childhood one last time to try and work out where everything went wrong?
I won't tell you, but I will say that things don't always go in a straight line, or pan out the way things are planned.
This film takes you on a journey that both haunt you and make you think.
THE NIGHT OF THE 12TH NEW
website
review by David Black
Brooding and haunting, yet beautiful.
"The Night of the Twelfth" is a French police investigative drama that stands apart from the usual fast paced Hollywood offerings that most would be familiar with.
The official description of the movie is "Sooner or later, every police investigator comes across a case that remains unsolved
and that haunts him. For Yohan, Clara’s murder proves to be that case. What starts as a thorough investigation into the victim’s life soon turns into a nagging obsession. One interrogation follows another, there is no shortage of suspects and Yohan has more and more doubts. Only one thing is sure, the crime occurred on the night of the 12th."
This film takes it's time. There are no repetitive fancy graphics and hard sound bytes. Instead, we are treated to beautiful, sweeping views of the French Alps and the picturesque town where a grisly murder has taken place. The Night of the Twelfth totally breaks the mould of a genre that has become cliche'd and predictable and breathes new life into it.
The contrast of alluring, picturesque cinematography with a never ending investigation of sleazy, off beat suspects creates an uneasy feeling that is a perfect resonance for observing the descent into darkness of our two main investigators.
The investigation into the murder of Clara shines a light onto issues of violence and gender, but to say that this is what the story is about would be to reduce it. It is so much more. The main characters are well fleshed out and so we gain an insight into many different personalities.
Director and writer, Dominik Moll uses some interesting imagery to convey the feeling of futility and mystery. Each night, Yohan Vivès (played by Bastien Bouillon) rides his bike around a track. It is a metaphor for effort that goes nowhere at all, but round and round in circles.
Meanwhile, his aging partner, Marceau (played by Bouli Lanners) symbolises a sad prediction of where his own life might eventually wind up.
The feeling of mystery is given by the appearance of a black cat in the background of various scenes. It is an interesting trope and no definitive answer is given as to why. This is something for the viewer to contemplate.
This film asks many questions but is never presumptuous enough to hand feed the answers. Instead, it encourages us to look deep within ourselves to find our own conclusions.
website
review by David Black
Brooding and haunting, yet beautiful.
"The Night of the Twelfth" is a French police investigative drama that stands apart from the usual fast paced Hollywood offerings that most would be familiar with.
The official description of the movie is "Sooner or later, every police investigator comes across a case that remains unsolved
and that haunts him. For Yohan, Clara’s murder proves to be that case. What starts as a thorough investigation into the victim’s life soon turns into a nagging obsession. One interrogation follows another, there is no shortage of suspects and Yohan has more and more doubts. Only one thing is sure, the crime occurred on the night of the 12th."
This film takes it's time. There are no repetitive fancy graphics and hard sound bytes. Instead, we are treated to beautiful, sweeping views of the French Alps and the picturesque town where a grisly murder has taken place. The Night of the Twelfth totally breaks the mould of a genre that has become cliche'd and predictable and breathes new life into it.
The contrast of alluring, picturesque cinematography with a never ending investigation of sleazy, off beat suspects creates an uneasy feeling that is a perfect resonance for observing the descent into darkness of our two main investigators.
The investigation into the murder of Clara shines a light onto issues of violence and gender, but to say that this is what the story is about would be to reduce it. It is so much more. The main characters are well fleshed out and so we gain an insight into many different personalities.
Director and writer, Dominik Moll uses some interesting imagery to convey the feeling of futility and mystery. Each night, Yohan Vivès (played by Bastien Bouillon) rides his bike around a track. It is a metaphor for effort that goes nowhere at all, but round and round in circles.
Meanwhile, his aging partner, Marceau (played by Bouli Lanners) symbolises a sad prediction of where his own life might eventually wind up.
The feeling of mystery is given by the appearance of a black cat in the background of various scenes. It is an interesting trope and no definitive answer is given as to why. This is something for the viewer to contemplate.
This film asks many questions but is never presumptuous enough to hand feed the answers. Instead, it encourages us to look deep within ourselves to find our own conclusions.
FALL NEW
website
On the edge to survive.
Becky is a fearless and extreme girl who is not afraid to go rock climbing and is not inferior to anyone a the parties. However, after the tragic death of her beloved husband, she begins to experience fear, fear of heights and everything extreme. She has to abandon her favorite hobby. But still she finds the strength to make the last ascent: to climb with her friend on a radio tower more than half a kilometer high in order to dispel the ashes of her cremated husband, while honoring his memory.
There are actually only three actors: aspiring actresses Grace Fulton, who plays Becky, and Virginia Gardner, who plays Becky's friend. The girls played very well, they are cute, you believe them, they are to be remembered as actors and certainly will not give up in the future if they continue their acting career.
Plus there is Jeffrey Dean Morgan, better known for Negan from The Walking Dead, who is already filming with the director in 'Speed: Bus 657', but he has such an insignificant, seemingly small role in the film that it becomes unclear what he is for at all needed. Even in connection with the already drawn-out film, for some reason they show two shameless and essentially useless characters in the middle of the film.
Who would have known that the girls in their brave and reckless act would have to face dangers from an already rusting and breaking building to terribly hungry birds, all striving to feast on them.
The action takes place almost the entire film in one location, but it is surprising that the film manages to keep our attention and interest in viewing for the most part due to good camera work and computer graphics, because the whole area near the tower looks so breathtaking that you want to be at least for a moment at this height.
Yes, this is really a thriller, although predictable in many ways, it keeps you in suspense, supplementing this effect with frightening scenes, sometimes even illusions for the main character, as if showing her fears and inner feelings and ultimately revealing an unexpected terrible truth.
I think FALL will arouse great interest among the viewers and it's best to watch on a big screen..
website
On the edge to survive.
Becky is a fearless and extreme girl who is not afraid to go rock climbing and is not inferior to anyone a the parties. However, after the tragic death of her beloved husband, she begins to experience fear, fear of heights and everything extreme. She has to abandon her favorite hobby. But still she finds the strength to make the last ascent: to climb with her friend on a radio tower more than half a kilometer high in order to dispel the ashes of her cremated husband, while honoring his memory.
There are actually only three actors: aspiring actresses Grace Fulton, who plays Becky, and Virginia Gardner, who plays Becky's friend. The girls played very well, they are cute, you believe them, they are to be remembered as actors and certainly will not give up in the future if they continue their acting career.
Plus there is Jeffrey Dean Morgan, better known for Negan from The Walking Dead, who is already filming with the director in 'Speed: Bus 657', but he has such an insignificant, seemingly small role in the film that it becomes unclear what he is for at all needed. Even in connection with the already drawn-out film, for some reason they show two shameless and essentially useless characters in the middle of the film.
Who would have known that the girls in their brave and reckless act would have to face dangers from an already rusting and breaking building to terribly hungry birds, all striving to feast on them.
The action takes place almost the entire film in one location, but it is surprising that the film manages to keep our attention and interest in viewing for the most part due to good camera work and computer graphics, because the whole area near the tower looks so breathtaking that you want to be at least for a moment at this height.
Yes, this is really a thriller, although predictable in many ways, it keeps you in suspense, supplementing this effect with frightening scenes, sometimes even illusions for the main character, as if showing her fears and inner feelings and ultimately revealing an unexpected terrible truth.
I think FALL will arouse great interest among the viewers and it's best to watch on a big screen..
NTL: Straight Line Crazy NEW
website
This is another acting triumph for Ralph Fiennes, the leading performer of Robert Moses in "NL: Straight Line Crazy"!
The production revolved around an urban planner, Robert Mosesm who is responsible for a great deal of the built infrastructure of the city. He is at the start of his career. He helped to create dozens of bridges, pools and miles of roads and expressways to better serve the people and the community... well before falling from grace.
He was charming and through his intimidation he manipulated the people and events in his own favour. His skills served him right so people around listen to him. He improved the lives of New York City’s workers, he created new parks, numerous new bridges and 627 miles of expressway to connect the people to the great outdoors. Moses definitely changed the New York City skyline no matter if it is liked or not. In 50-s though NY citizens started the campaignes against his motorway plans and his ideas of what the city should look like.
The play was written by Oscar-nominated British screenwriter David Hare and directed by Nicholas Hytner. Hare sourced material for the play from the 1974 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Moses, The Power Broker, written by Robert Caro. What is true there and what is fiction - not for us to decide but Hare has transformed the work into an extraordinarily powerful play while Fiennes provides an equally powerful performance that matches the genuis of the book and brings Moses into full-blooded, table-thumping life.
The play is set in the 20-s through the 60-s in New York City and centres around Robert's life.
The play is the National Theatre Live production that was filmed at the Bridge Theatre in London.
Moses gets his way in any possible way truely believing he is always right and smashes anyone who disagreed with his vision.
His first projct is to build an expressway to Jones Beach on Long Island. It’s a rather altruistic plan. The idea is to provide a recreational space for the working class of NYC. However he is opposed by many of the rich denizens of the island. He is offered an alternative as a railway that might serve better as many people can’t afford to drive cars. Robert is not listning to any other solutions and insists on the expressway.
New York Governor, Al Smith, Robert's political ally (Danny Webb) is doubting about the plan, but Moses’ trick is to start the project anyway.
The second act shows us the scene in 60-s and now, Moses’ new scheme is to build the Lower Manhattan Expressway. This new project would carve a route through Greenwich Village and divide Washington Square Park in two. Robert has already lost his original altruism that motivated him in his earlier years and he’s beyond caring about whose noses he puts out of joint. Local residents turn against his plan, but he first tries his old trick to ignore them and then, when pressed, schedules a public meeting only hours before the project is due to start. This time, though, his old trick does not work and his political backers and friends desert him.
It’s a fatal blow to the ‘master builder’.
The play features an almost bare stage with some occasional props that appar to create the backdrop to various scenes: a table, an armchair etc - just for a sense of place.
The play keeps flowing without the need for major set changes that would only distruct from the storyline and the brilliant acting.
The actors work their magic without interference. Fiennes is the finest of them all as I mentioned at the very start. His role is all about verbosing, high emotions, opinionation, hands on hips... Even the softer moments are full of silent passion.
It’s one rare and unique production, a wonderful chance to see Ralph Fiennes at his best, virtually in the room with him.
It is David Hare's extraordinarily political drama of immence power.
website
This is another acting triumph for Ralph Fiennes, the leading performer of Robert Moses in "NL: Straight Line Crazy"!
The production revolved around an urban planner, Robert Mosesm who is responsible for a great deal of the built infrastructure of the city. He is at the start of his career. He helped to create dozens of bridges, pools and miles of roads and expressways to better serve the people and the community... well before falling from grace.
He was charming and through his intimidation he manipulated the people and events in his own favour. His skills served him right so people around listen to him. He improved the lives of New York City’s workers, he created new parks, numerous new bridges and 627 miles of expressway to connect the people to the great outdoors. Moses definitely changed the New York City skyline no matter if it is liked or not. In 50-s though NY citizens started the campaignes against his motorway plans and his ideas of what the city should look like.
The play was written by Oscar-nominated British screenwriter David Hare and directed by Nicholas Hytner. Hare sourced material for the play from the 1974 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Moses, The Power Broker, written by Robert Caro. What is true there and what is fiction - not for us to decide but Hare has transformed the work into an extraordinarily powerful play while Fiennes provides an equally powerful performance that matches the genuis of the book and brings Moses into full-blooded, table-thumping life.
The play is set in the 20-s through the 60-s in New York City and centres around Robert's life.
The play is the National Theatre Live production that was filmed at the Bridge Theatre in London.
Moses gets his way in any possible way truely believing he is always right and smashes anyone who disagreed with his vision.
His first projct is to build an expressway to Jones Beach on Long Island. It’s a rather altruistic plan. The idea is to provide a recreational space for the working class of NYC. However he is opposed by many of the rich denizens of the island. He is offered an alternative as a railway that might serve better as many people can’t afford to drive cars. Robert is not listning to any other solutions and insists on the expressway.
New York Governor, Al Smith, Robert's political ally (Danny Webb) is doubting about the plan, but Moses’ trick is to start the project anyway.
The second act shows us the scene in 60-s and now, Moses’ new scheme is to build the Lower Manhattan Expressway. This new project would carve a route through Greenwich Village and divide Washington Square Park in two. Robert has already lost his original altruism that motivated him in his earlier years and he’s beyond caring about whose noses he puts out of joint. Local residents turn against his plan, but he first tries his old trick to ignore them and then, when pressed, schedules a public meeting only hours before the project is due to start. This time, though, his old trick does not work and his political backers and friends desert him.
It’s a fatal blow to the ‘master builder’.
The play features an almost bare stage with some occasional props that appar to create the backdrop to various scenes: a table, an armchair etc - just for a sense of place.
The play keeps flowing without the need for major set changes that would only distruct from the storyline and the brilliant acting.
The actors work their magic without interference. Fiennes is the finest of them all as I mentioned at the very start. His role is all about verbosing, high emotions, opinionation, hands on hips... Even the softer moments are full of silent passion.
It’s one rare and unique production, a wonderful chance to see Ralph Fiennes at his best, virtually in the room with him.
It is David Hare's extraordinarily political drama of immence power.
THE QUIET GIRL NEW
website
The story is based on the novel called "Foster" by Claire Keegan. She is an Irish writer. The film director is Colm Bairéad. It is one of the most surprising movies I have seen this year. It is also very significant to note that it is the first Irish language feature film that was selected by the prestigious Berlinale's German Film Festival judges.
The story is simple: Cáit, who is played by a sweet, charming newcomer actor, Catherine Clinchis, is a quiet, young girl who is growing up in a family of four siblings. She is growing in a dysfunctional family and has to endure indifference and lack of affection of her rude father (played by Michael Patric) and her trouble making mother (played by Kate Nic Chonaonaigh). To make the situation even worse, Cáit is repeatedly mistreated by her school mates. She is insecure and lacking support of her family. To add to the troubles the girl wets her mattress every morning.
One day her parents decide to send her to spend summer days at the farm of their relatives, whom she has never met before, Eibhlín (played by Carrie Crowley) and Seán (played by Andrew Bennett).
It turns out to be quite a groundbreaking experience for the girl. She gradually finds out about the affable relatives and finally feels loved and confident. She also creates a deep bond between them all day by day. However, there is a sad secret of the past that Eibhlín and Seán are hiding. It will provide an explanation for some aspects of the couple’s behviour and will open the young girls eyes.
The director's incredible craftsmanship is not doubtful. His tools are seemingly simple as all talents should be: there are three excellent lead actors who play their parts with great honesty (especially Clinch, who having only few lines, still manages to be a very powerful in his intense presence). The second one is use of naturalistic time, as the director gives the actors a chance to familiarise themselves with each other through everyday gestures and shared activities: hair combing, milking the cows, cleaning stables and cutting onions. They are, again seemingly simple actions but they mean so much in bonding the family and creating its ties that many of us lack in real life.
It’s rare to see this type of slow tempo staged so successfully in a modern cinematography.
The film takes place in Ireland of the early 80-s. It is a place that was very different from the one we know today as heavily urbanised. It is all about the portrait of a country with that quiet existence in the countryside and a beautiful cozy house surrounded by greens and trees; it is all about a good hot and comforting cup of tea with the small and simple pleasures of life full of joy and serenity built by full-hearted people... though this may look like an ideal representation of that period, this nostalgic picture fits the story’s characters and atmospheres perfectly. Something out of this world we all lack today in our "smart" cities of human stupidity.
The contrast between the brightness of Eibhlín and Seán’s countryside nest and the grim colour palette of Cáit’s actual, decrepit home is noticeable and i adds to the story giving us the full picture of the main character's feelings.
The moving end of the film will make you think what parenthood really means and how important love is for our children if we want to help them build their own identity.
The work of composer Stephen Rennicks is amazing with a highly emotional score.
I highly recommend to watch the film by all the caring parents.
website
The story is based on the novel called "Foster" by Claire Keegan. She is an Irish writer. The film director is Colm Bairéad. It is one of the most surprising movies I have seen this year. It is also very significant to note that it is the first Irish language feature film that was selected by the prestigious Berlinale's German Film Festival judges.
The story is simple: Cáit, who is played by a sweet, charming newcomer actor, Catherine Clinchis, is a quiet, young girl who is growing up in a family of four siblings. She is growing in a dysfunctional family and has to endure indifference and lack of affection of her rude father (played by Michael Patric) and her trouble making mother (played by Kate Nic Chonaonaigh). To make the situation even worse, Cáit is repeatedly mistreated by her school mates. She is insecure and lacking support of her family. To add to the troubles the girl wets her mattress every morning.
One day her parents decide to send her to spend summer days at the farm of their relatives, whom she has never met before, Eibhlín (played by Carrie Crowley) and Seán (played by Andrew Bennett).
It turns out to be quite a groundbreaking experience for the girl. She gradually finds out about the affable relatives and finally feels loved and confident. She also creates a deep bond between them all day by day. However, there is a sad secret of the past that Eibhlín and Seán are hiding. It will provide an explanation for some aspects of the couple’s behviour and will open the young girls eyes.
The director's incredible craftsmanship is not doubtful. His tools are seemingly simple as all talents should be: there are three excellent lead actors who play their parts with great honesty (especially Clinch, who having only few lines, still manages to be a very powerful in his intense presence). The second one is use of naturalistic time, as the director gives the actors a chance to familiarise themselves with each other through everyday gestures and shared activities: hair combing, milking the cows, cleaning stables and cutting onions. They are, again seemingly simple actions but they mean so much in bonding the family and creating its ties that many of us lack in real life.
It’s rare to see this type of slow tempo staged so successfully in a modern cinematography.
The film takes place in Ireland of the early 80-s. It is a place that was very different from the one we know today as heavily urbanised. It is all about the portrait of a country with that quiet existence in the countryside and a beautiful cozy house surrounded by greens and trees; it is all about a good hot and comforting cup of tea with the small and simple pleasures of life full of joy and serenity built by full-hearted people... though this may look like an ideal representation of that period, this nostalgic picture fits the story’s characters and atmospheres perfectly. Something out of this world we all lack today in our "smart" cities of human stupidity.
The contrast between the brightness of Eibhlín and Seán’s countryside nest and the grim colour palette of Cáit’s actual, decrepit home is noticeable and i adds to the story giving us the full picture of the main character's feelings.
The moving end of the film will make you think what parenthood really means and how important love is for our children if we want to help them build their own identity.
The work of composer Stephen Rennicks is amazing with a highly emotional score.
I highly recommend to watch the film by all the caring parents.
ORPHAN: FIRST KILL NEW
website
review by Lylah McKenzie
Orphan: first kill
So! Incredibly! Good!
This is by far the best movie I have seen all year.
The plot twists were amazing and very unpredictable, the slight aspects of dark humour where perfectly placed and the gruesome ending was just the cherry on top.
This is a prequel to the movie Orphan (2009) Ester is played by Isabelle Fuhrmann and she does a incredible job! The acting is terrifying, suspenseful and overall just amazing. It was great to see Julia Stiles in this movie as well, she was great at playing a sadistic character, but also a loving and concerned mother.
The movie starts with Leena Klammer in Russia escaping the mental facility she’s held in. Creating a new identity as an American girl, Ester, that went missing when she was 8 years old. Leena enters the family as the now 12 year old Ester and has to learn how to be ‘herself again’. The detective that reunited Ester to her family starts to becomes suspicious of Leena and tries to discover who she really, he doesn’t get far before Leena kills him BUT THEN Esters mother finishes of the job and kills the detective herself. This is when we find out that the real Ester, was never really missing.
I could easily say I was not expecting this plot twist, it really came out of no where and instantly made the film more enjoyable.
I do wish we learnt a bit more about the real Esters backstory and how she died because without it, it made the film feel like it went far too quickly and I would’ve like to see more character development from the Father rather than him just being loving and clueless to the fact it’s not his real daughter but nevertheless it was still an amazing movie and I highly suggest going to watch this wonderful thriller.
I would actually love to see them do another movie, a prequel to the prequel if you will. I would like to know more about what got her into the mental hospital in the first place.
website
review by Lylah McKenzie
Orphan: first kill
So! Incredibly! Good!
This is by far the best movie I have seen all year.
The plot twists were amazing and very unpredictable, the slight aspects of dark humour where perfectly placed and the gruesome ending was just the cherry on top.
This is a prequel to the movie Orphan (2009) Ester is played by Isabelle Fuhrmann and she does a incredible job! The acting is terrifying, suspenseful and overall just amazing. It was great to see Julia Stiles in this movie as well, she was great at playing a sadistic character, but also a loving and concerned mother.
The movie starts with Leena Klammer in Russia escaping the mental facility she’s held in. Creating a new identity as an American girl, Ester, that went missing when she was 8 years old. Leena enters the family as the now 12 year old Ester and has to learn how to be ‘herself again’. The detective that reunited Ester to her family starts to becomes suspicious of Leena and tries to discover who she really, he doesn’t get far before Leena kills him BUT THEN Esters mother finishes of the job and kills the detective herself. This is when we find out that the real Ester, was never really missing.
I could easily say I was not expecting this plot twist, it really came out of no where and instantly made the film more enjoyable.
I do wish we learnt a bit more about the real Esters backstory and how she died because without it, it made the film feel like it went far too quickly and I would’ve like to see more character development from the Father rather than him just being loving and clueless to the fact it’s not his real daughter but nevertheless it was still an amazing movie and I highly suggest going to watch this wonderful thriller.
I would actually love to see them do another movie, a prequel to the prequel if you will. I would like to know more about what got her into the mental hospital in the first place.
ST ALI ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2022: NOSTALIA NEW
website
review by Alexander O Montgomery
A review of an opening premiere - The ST. ALi Italian Film Festival featuring ‘Nostalgia’
By Alexander O. Montgomery
On 2 September 2022, I was amongst the fortunate few to be invited to the Australian Premiere of the ST. Ali Italian Film Festival. Upon arrival to the Palace Cinema at COMO, South Yarra at 6pm, I was greeted by staff members who promptly received my guest and I to a selection of Santa Margherita Prosecco and other wines lining the buffet table! I felt regal indeed. In the exclusive lounge suite decked with marble floor and decadent furniture, I was surrounded by Melbourne’s elite. Everyone seemed excited and raring to go.
Apparently, this year’s ST. ALi Italian Film Festival is one of Australia's most anticipated events. It is presented by Palace and celebrates Italian cinema and culture. And what better way to launch this pre-eminent event in Melbourne, than to launch it with the screening of the award-winning film ‘Nostagia’. Nostalgia is a 2022 Italian-French drama film based on a 2016 novel by Ermanno Rea, co-written and directed by the one and only Mario Martone. Nostalgia first premiered at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in May 2022, vying for the official and prestigious competition – the Palme d'Or. (For the benefit of the clueless, the Cannes Festival is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around the world). Distinctly, ‘Nostalgia’ had emerged Winner for the Nastri d’Argento Awards 2022. It took an enormous sweep among the categories of Best Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor.
Without giving too much away, Nostalgia is set in Naples where after decades abroad, a man returns for closure where he quickly discovers himself again falling in love with the place which he once swore that he would bury and leave behind. Now, and slowly but surely, he reconnects with his past, but the problem starts when this past comes back to haunt him. Call it Karma or a situation where curiosity killed the cat, this film satisfies all elements of friendship, drama, and suspense.
This is definitely a film not to be missed. I rate Nostalgia a solid 9/10.
website
review by Alexander O Montgomery
A review of an opening premiere - The ST. ALi Italian Film Festival featuring ‘Nostalgia’
By Alexander O. Montgomery
On 2 September 2022, I was amongst the fortunate few to be invited to the Australian Premiere of the ST. Ali Italian Film Festival. Upon arrival to the Palace Cinema at COMO, South Yarra at 6pm, I was greeted by staff members who promptly received my guest and I to a selection of Santa Margherita Prosecco and other wines lining the buffet table! I felt regal indeed. In the exclusive lounge suite decked with marble floor and decadent furniture, I was surrounded by Melbourne’s elite. Everyone seemed excited and raring to go.
Apparently, this year’s ST. ALi Italian Film Festival is one of Australia's most anticipated events. It is presented by Palace and celebrates Italian cinema and culture. And what better way to launch this pre-eminent event in Melbourne, than to launch it with the screening of the award-winning film ‘Nostagia’. Nostalgia is a 2022 Italian-French drama film based on a 2016 novel by Ermanno Rea, co-written and directed by the one and only Mario Martone. Nostalgia first premiered at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in May 2022, vying for the official and prestigious competition – the Palme d'Or. (For the benefit of the clueless, the Cannes Festival is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around the world). Distinctly, ‘Nostalgia’ had emerged Winner for the Nastri d’Argento Awards 2022. It took an enormous sweep among the categories of Best Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor.
Without giving too much away, Nostalgia is set in Naples where after decades abroad, a man returns for closure where he quickly discovers himself again falling in love with the place which he once swore that he would bury and leave behind. Now, and slowly but surely, he reconnects with his past, but the problem starts when this past comes back to haunt him. Call it Karma or a situation where curiosity killed the cat, this film satisfies all elements of friendship, drama, and suspense.
This is definitely a film not to be missed. I rate Nostalgia a solid 9/10.
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THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING NEW
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Hollywood veteran, George Miller's romantic fantasy Three Thousand Years of Longing captures the heart and mind indeed!
It is visually dazzling. The film immerses you in the world of oriental tales while maintaining a contemporary spirit.
There hasn't been a love story like this on screen for a long time.
Aletheia (Tilda Swinton) is an outstanding scholar in the field of literature. She knows many stories, but her own is devoid of color. She is single, she has no children and no family.
Once burned with her husband who cheated on her, she took an observant position in life. One day at a conference in Turkey, she sees something frightening and bizarre in the auditorium, some otherworldly creature.
Soon she comes across a simple glass vessel at the market. Although she is offered a more luxurious trinket, she buys the thing she likes and inadvertently breaks it. The hotel room is filled with a loud voice, and the most natural Genie (Idris Elba) appears before the dumbfounded woman.
He spent three thousand years in his prison. Aletheia needs to make three cherished wishes in order to give him freedom. That's just a strict clever woman claims that she is completely satisfied with her life and she has no desires.
In his 70s, George Miller directed Mad Max: Fury Road, a high-octane brain blast, the best action movie of the decade that had ten times the energy of directors who were Miller's grandchildren. The film was called the ideal feminist, with which there are still problems in science fiction. Mostly we see wonder women in wonder panties brandishing the “strong heroine who came to prove that she is no worse than men” badge. And at Miller, they just silently pressed the gas, not trying to prove anything to anyone, and it turned out that this is the only way to make a feminist movie - to act.
Now Miller is filming a series about Furiosa, which eclipsed Max himself in The Road, and in the process suddenly turned into territory that unofficially belongs to the literature of young adult (written about teenagers for teenagers) - romantic fantasy.
“She is an ordinary woman, and he is an ancient genie!”. Such an inscription is easy to imagine on a work intended for Twilight fans. But the fact is that Miller filmed the story of the British writer Antonia S. Byatt, and this lady writes in such a paradoxical genre as an intellectual love story. Can you imagine this? Byatt's language is very dense, rich, sometimes too beautiful; between lovemaking, the characters talk either about Gainsborough's painting or Jung's psychoanalytic theories.
Miller captured Byatt's style as well as text can be visualized. This is not even a feast for the eyes, but an injection of beauty directly into the brain. Moreover, the beauty of the film is created in an old-fashioned way - with the help of objects. Thousands of textures, hundreds of colors, the enormous work of artists and costumers, and not this flat CGI of yours that we've had enough of by 2022.
We miss handmade cinema! ...and Miller gives it to us.
But more importantly, he gives us a love story that we have not seen for a very long time, and perhaps we have never seen it. Magic is needed here only so that a closed, constrained, frightened woman stops watching her life from the back rows. In one long gulp (the camera lingers on her neck), Swinton delivers what might be called a change of heart. We do not fully understand what exactly happened (perhaps this is a brilliant decision), but just now she was sitting comfortably in the shade, rummaging through other people's stories, and in a moment she comes out under the spotlights and becomes the main character of her own life.
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Hollywood veteran, George Miller's romantic fantasy Three Thousand Years of Longing captures the heart and mind indeed!
It is visually dazzling. The film immerses you in the world of oriental tales while maintaining a contemporary spirit.
There hasn't been a love story like this on screen for a long time.
Aletheia (Tilda Swinton) is an outstanding scholar in the field of literature. She knows many stories, but her own is devoid of color. She is single, she has no children and no family.
Once burned with her husband who cheated on her, she took an observant position in life. One day at a conference in Turkey, she sees something frightening and bizarre in the auditorium, some otherworldly creature.
Soon she comes across a simple glass vessel at the market. Although she is offered a more luxurious trinket, she buys the thing she likes and inadvertently breaks it. The hotel room is filled with a loud voice, and the most natural Genie (Idris Elba) appears before the dumbfounded woman.
He spent three thousand years in his prison. Aletheia needs to make three cherished wishes in order to give him freedom. That's just a strict clever woman claims that she is completely satisfied with her life and she has no desires.
In his 70s, George Miller directed Mad Max: Fury Road, a high-octane brain blast, the best action movie of the decade that had ten times the energy of directors who were Miller's grandchildren. The film was called the ideal feminist, with which there are still problems in science fiction. Mostly we see wonder women in wonder panties brandishing the “strong heroine who came to prove that she is no worse than men” badge. And at Miller, they just silently pressed the gas, not trying to prove anything to anyone, and it turned out that this is the only way to make a feminist movie - to act.
Now Miller is filming a series about Furiosa, which eclipsed Max himself in The Road, and in the process suddenly turned into territory that unofficially belongs to the literature of young adult (written about teenagers for teenagers) - romantic fantasy.
“She is an ordinary woman, and he is an ancient genie!”. Such an inscription is easy to imagine on a work intended for Twilight fans. But the fact is that Miller filmed the story of the British writer Antonia S. Byatt, and this lady writes in such a paradoxical genre as an intellectual love story. Can you imagine this? Byatt's language is very dense, rich, sometimes too beautiful; between lovemaking, the characters talk either about Gainsborough's painting or Jung's psychoanalytic theories.
Miller captured Byatt's style as well as text can be visualized. This is not even a feast for the eyes, but an injection of beauty directly into the brain. Moreover, the beauty of the film is created in an old-fashioned way - with the help of objects. Thousands of textures, hundreds of colors, the enormous work of artists and costumers, and not this flat CGI of yours that we've had enough of by 2022.
We miss handmade cinema! ...and Miller gives it to us.
But more importantly, he gives us a love story that we have not seen for a very long time, and perhaps we have never seen it. Magic is needed here only so that a closed, constrained, frightened woman stops watching her life from the back rows. In one long gulp (the camera lingers on her neck), Swinton delivers what might be called a change of heart. We do not fully understand what exactly happened (perhaps this is a brilliant decision), but just now she was sitting comfortably in the shade, rummaging through other people's stories, and in a moment she comes out under the spotlights and becomes the main character of her own life.
review by Alex First
Three Thousand Years of Longing (M) – 108 minutes – by Alex First
I believe it was the highest grossing film of 1992, Aladdin, that gave us the story of the Genie in a lamp.
Fast forward 30 years and now you have the tale of a djinn in a bottle.
Dr Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is a feted, scholarly storyteller – a creature of reason – who is having vivid and alarming visions.
On a conference in Istanbul, she purchases an old misshapen bottle, but when she tries to clean it, something extraordinary happens.
Her rubbing triggers the appearance of a djinn who has been trapped inside for a great many years.
He proceeds to relay to her how on three separate occasions after he was freed forces conspired to see him trapped again.
These fantastic tales involve love, war and betrayal.
To remain free the djinn implores Alithea to make three wishes.
Mind you, in so doing there are rules.
For instance, Alithea can’t wish for eternal life.
She is suspicious that she may be being taken on a ride, but the more she hears the stronger her connection to the djinn.
Still, there are sounds in this modern world that don’t sit comfortably with him.
Three Thousand Years of Longing is an engaging, if decidedly far-fetched, fantasy about connection.
It is proof positive that Tilda Swinton has credibility, even when she plays a creative if lonely soul in a story of make believe.
Throughout she maintains the intelligent visage that is her hallmark.
Idris Elba adds big ticket gravitas as the djinn, who weaves many a colourful story.
The picture painted is that of an adult fairy tale.
Co-writer (with Augusta Gore) and director George Miller is, of course, quite at home with the genre. He was responsible for Babe and Happy Feet, not to overlook Mad Max.
Miller and Gore have certainly let their imaginations wander.
Their writing is based on a short story – The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye – by AS Byatt.
The picture is colourful throughout, the production design by Roger Ford being a feature.
Visual effects too are allowed to flourish, with plenty to admire.
So, Three Thousand Years of Longing is a pleasant lavish distraction.
Rated M, it scores a 7 out of 10.
Three Thousand Years of Longing (M) – 108 minutes – by Alex First
I believe it was the highest grossing film of 1992, Aladdin, that gave us the story of the Genie in a lamp.
Fast forward 30 years and now you have the tale of a djinn in a bottle.
Dr Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is a feted, scholarly storyteller – a creature of reason – who is having vivid and alarming visions.
On a conference in Istanbul, she purchases an old misshapen bottle, but when she tries to clean it, something extraordinary happens.
Her rubbing triggers the appearance of a djinn who has been trapped inside for a great many years.
He proceeds to relay to her how on three separate occasions after he was freed forces conspired to see him trapped again.
These fantastic tales involve love, war and betrayal.
To remain free the djinn implores Alithea to make three wishes.
Mind you, in so doing there are rules.
For instance, Alithea can’t wish for eternal life.
She is suspicious that she may be being taken on a ride, but the more she hears the stronger her connection to the djinn.
Still, there are sounds in this modern world that don’t sit comfortably with him.
Three Thousand Years of Longing is an engaging, if decidedly far-fetched, fantasy about connection.
It is proof positive that Tilda Swinton has credibility, even when she plays a creative if lonely soul in a story of make believe.
Throughout she maintains the intelligent visage that is her hallmark.
Idris Elba adds big ticket gravitas as the djinn, who weaves many a colourful story.
The picture painted is that of an adult fairy tale.
Co-writer (with Augusta Gore) and director George Miller is, of course, quite at home with the genre. He was responsible for Babe and Happy Feet, not to overlook Mad Max.
Miller and Gore have certainly let their imaginations wander.
Their writing is based on a short story – The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye – by AS Byatt.
The picture is colourful throughout, the production design by Roger Ford being a feature.
Visual effects too are allowed to flourish, with plenty to admire.
So, Three Thousand Years of Longing is a pleasant lavish distraction.
Rated M, it scores a 7 out of 10.
BEAST NEW
website
review by Lylah McKenzie
This movie went for an hour and a half but it definitely didn’t feel like it. Honestly there wasn’t much story line, it was a really simple movie.
Family goes on holiday, something bad happens, they all make it out alive - well except for that one guy.
If they were to dig deeper into the character development of Martin Battles and his relationship with the poachers it would have been more of a memorable movie and something I would definitely want to watch again. But making it all about the Samuels family just felt predictable and not a movie I would suggest to my friends, personally I like a film with purpose and if they had of leaned more towards the educational side of why a lion goes rouge and seeks out an enemy it would’ve been worth the watch, it would have given more to the audience than just a 1 line explanation.
However I cannot fault the cinematic aspects of this movie, the continuous shots where planned so well and really added some suspense. They were probably the best parts of the movie, it made it easy to watch and having the complicated shots made me have some respect for the effort that went into filming.
Although the plot line was quite basic, I can’t fault the acting, they did what they could with the script but again, I would have liked to see more character development in all of the actors but I guess director Baltasar Kormákur was more focused on the action side of things.
I also thought the makeup SFX would be a lot more focus on but you saw more blood on clothes than you did an actual wounds.
They had the opportunity to make this movie quite amazing, if they had of put in at least 10% more effort into every aspect it would’ve been incredible.
website
review by Lylah McKenzie
This movie went for an hour and a half but it definitely didn’t feel like it. Honestly there wasn’t much story line, it was a really simple movie.
Family goes on holiday, something bad happens, they all make it out alive - well except for that one guy.
If they were to dig deeper into the character development of Martin Battles and his relationship with the poachers it would have been more of a memorable movie and something I would definitely want to watch again. But making it all about the Samuels family just felt predictable and not a movie I would suggest to my friends, personally I like a film with purpose and if they had of leaned more towards the educational side of why a lion goes rouge and seeks out an enemy it would’ve been worth the watch, it would have given more to the audience than just a 1 line explanation.
However I cannot fault the cinematic aspects of this movie, the continuous shots where planned so well and really added some suspense. They were probably the best parts of the movie, it made it easy to watch and having the complicated shots made me have some respect for the effort that went into filming.
Although the plot line was quite basic, I can’t fault the acting, they did what they could with the script but again, I would have liked to see more character development in all of the actors but I guess director Baltasar Kormákur was more focused on the action side of things.
I also thought the makeup SFX would be a lot more focus on but you saw more blood on clothes than you did an actual wounds.
They had the opportunity to make this movie quite amazing, if they had of put in at least 10% more effort into every aspect it would’ve been incredible.
HIT THE ROAD NEW
website
Hit The Road
Director: Panah Panahi.
Cast: Hassan Majuni, Pantea Panahiha, Rayyan Sarlak, Amin Simiar and others.
Traveling by car with the whole family is always an emotional roller coaster: the road movie genre is always associated with bumps, unexpected turns and a gallery of various fellow travelers.
They are the laws of the genre, which are followed even in Iranian cinematography.
This is the Iranian "Little Miss Sunshine", from which all American sentimentality was drained and filled with the cultural code of the films of the director's father, Jafar Panahi.
Yes, that's right, Panah Panahi is not just the namesake of, perhaps, the main Iranian filmmaker of today. He is his son, whose debut surprisingly noticeably differs from everything that his father shoots, although Panakh actively participated (and gained experience) on the set of "Three Faces", helping not only in organisational moments, but with the script. Hit The Road from its very first moments sets a distinct cinematic flair for the future journey, however, the meditativeness familiar from Iranian cinematography is immediately broken by a chaotic, loud and insanely textured family moving somewhere in a car along desert landscapes.
Lounging in the back seat with a broken leg is the father, grouchy but wise. Next to him is his younger brother, restless, who loves to sing at the top of his lungs and tell his father in the third circle about Batman. Behind them is a sick dog, for whom this trip will obviously be the last, but with all this, it does not seem to know this and is trying to enjoy its (remaining) life. In front is a caring but strict mother who laughs, but there are tears in her eyes. All of them are cheerful, but at the same time tense. They are noisy on various topics, as if trying not to think about something. Only the eldest son, sitting behind the wheel, is suspiciously silent. Where are they all going?
Panahi Junior perfectly withstands the intrigue smoothly introduced in the initial episodes, which acts as a hanging cloud accompanying this trip, sometimes shifting the mood of the film to the territory of a thriller and even to drama. But in general, Hit The Road is a comedy, and it is very witty and original one, which differs from, say, Jafar Panahi's Taxi.
However, something still does not let us forget that Panah is the son of Jafar: this is their family ability to work with children - almost in the Spielberg's tradition. The young actor who plays the younger brother is definitely the main star of the film. Young Ryan Sarlak steals the attention of the audience, his hyperactivity and surprisingly wide knowledge of pop culture easily captivates. The rest of the family members are also not a blunder: there is a moment of glory for each of them in the film, which works perfectly to reveal the characters and rewards the already colorful journey with the necessary amount of sincerity.
The closer the heroes are to their destination, the more noticeably the landscape changes. Panahi does not invent anything in this regard, he simply depicts the natural change of the road, in which the desert lifeless general plans are replaced by green plains. On the other hand, how is this not a metaphor for Iranian soil hostile to free creativity? By the end, this metaphor is no longer so unfounded.
On their way, the heroes meet many different colorful characters: a failed cyclist, a mystical figure on a scooter wearing a sheepskin mask, and a suspicious pursuer. All this is accompanied by a peppy soundtrack of national hits from disgraced performers and lively dialogues in which any family trip is recognizable, no matter what country it takes place in. There was also a bright cinematic homage - but unexpected: similar to Kubrick's Space Odyssey, also a kind of film-journey into the unknown, fraught with risk to life. The debut of Panah Panahi turned out to be a fresh and original look not only at road movies, but also at Iranian cinema in general.
Who knows, maybe this is the starting point for something more: his national new wave?..
website
Hit The Road
Director: Panah Panahi.
Cast: Hassan Majuni, Pantea Panahiha, Rayyan Sarlak, Amin Simiar and others.
Traveling by car with the whole family is always an emotional roller coaster: the road movie genre is always associated with bumps, unexpected turns and a gallery of various fellow travelers.
They are the laws of the genre, which are followed even in Iranian cinematography.
This is the Iranian "Little Miss Sunshine", from which all American sentimentality was drained and filled with the cultural code of the films of the director's father, Jafar Panahi.
Yes, that's right, Panah Panahi is not just the namesake of, perhaps, the main Iranian filmmaker of today. He is his son, whose debut surprisingly noticeably differs from everything that his father shoots, although Panakh actively participated (and gained experience) on the set of "Three Faces", helping not only in organisational moments, but with the script. Hit The Road from its very first moments sets a distinct cinematic flair for the future journey, however, the meditativeness familiar from Iranian cinematography is immediately broken by a chaotic, loud and insanely textured family moving somewhere in a car along desert landscapes.
Lounging in the back seat with a broken leg is the father, grouchy but wise. Next to him is his younger brother, restless, who loves to sing at the top of his lungs and tell his father in the third circle about Batman. Behind them is a sick dog, for whom this trip will obviously be the last, but with all this, it does not seem to know this and is trying to enjoy its (remaining) life. In front is a caring but strict mother who laughs, but there are tears in her eyes. All of them are cheerful, but at the same time tense. They are noisy on various topics, as if trying not to think about something. Only the eldest son, sitting behind the wheel, is suspiciously silent. Where are they all going?
Panahi Junior perfectly withstands the intrigue smoothly introduced in the initial episodes, which acts as a hanging cloud accompanying this trip, sometimes shifting the mood of the film to the territory of a thriller and even to drama. But in general, Hit The Road is a comedy, and it is very witty and original one, which differs from, say, Jafar Panahi's Taxi.
However, something still does not let us forget that Panah is the son of Jafar: this is their family ability to work with children - almost in the Spielberg's tradition. The young actor who plays the younger brother is definitely the main star of the film. Young Ryan Sarlak steals the attention of the audience, his hyperactivity and surprisingly wide knowledge of pop culture easily captivates. The rest of the family members are also not a blunder: there is a moment of glory for each of them in the film, which works perfectly to reveal the characters and rewards the already colorful journey with the necessary amount of sincerity.
The closer the heroes are to their destination, the more noticeably the landscape changes. Panahi does not invent anything in this regard, he simply depicts the natural change of the road, in which the desert lifeless general plans are replaced by green plains. On the other hand, how is this not a metaphor for Iranian soil hostile to free creativity? By the end, this metaphor is no longer so unfounded.
On their way, the heroes meet many different colorful characters: a failed cyclist, a mystical figure on a scooter wearing a sheepskin mask, and a suspicious pursuer. All this is accompanied by a peppy soundtrack of national hits from disgraced performers and lively dialogues in which any family trip is recognizable, no matter what country it takes place in. There was also a bright cinematic homage - but unexpected: similar to Kubrick's Space Odyssey, also a kind of film-journey into the unknown, fraught with risk to life. The debut of Panah Panahi turned out to be a fresh and original look not only at road movies, but also at Iranian cinema in general.
Who knows, maybe this is the starting point for something more: his national new wave?..
review by Alex First
Hit the Road (PG) – 94 minutes – by Alex First
Just what is going on? That question characterises the start of this whimsical family drama, written and directed by Panah Panahi, who makes his feature film debut.
We’re on a cross country road trip in Iran with a mother, father, elder son and younger son.
Where we are going is not clear. What we can say is that there are many stops along the way.
Dad (Mohammad Hassan Madjooni) has a broken leg and is on crutches. Apparently, it has been that way for five months.
The elder son (Amin Simiar) – who is at least 20 – is at the wheel and says very little.
In fact, he is not very expressive, although his driving skills are constantly being questioned by his father.
The younger son, Rayan Sarlak, (perhaps aged four or five) is his antithesis – an Energiser bunny who can’t stop talking or sit still.
The one instruction all have been given is not to bring any mobile phones and yet the youngster has smuggled one into the car.
Now he’s distraught that his mother is making sure that the phone is buried.
Also, in the car with them is a sick dog that dad rescued and that the boy is attached to.
He doesn’t realise that the trip is really about taking his brother to a point where smugglers have been paid to take the latter across the border.
To that end, his parents have sold their house to enable that to happen.
While mum (Pantea Panahiha) understands why her eldest has to do what he is about to do, she is highly emotional about it.
This is a family that hurls insults at one another and yet cares deeply for each other.
In the case of the parents, much of their thoughts and feelings are expressed in their eyes.
There is a sense of yearning that accompanies this film. We long to learn more about the characters.
Much is left unsaid and it is up to each of us to interpret or read between the lines.
What struck me immediately was the naturalistic performances.
Mohammad Hassan Madjooni brings a comic gruffness to his role.
Pantea Panahiha is empathetic and caring. A scene late in the piece where a single teardrop forms in the corner of her left eye speaks volumes.
The real revelation for me was Rayan Sarlak. What a performance! What a find! Lively. Precocious. Immensely talented.
Compliments, too, to the cinematographer Amin Jafari, who captures expressions and landscapes magnificently. A rocky mountain range early on is particularly appealing and evocative.
As we reach the film’s conclusion, there is even a sequence that is a nod to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
That occurs as the father is having a conversation with his son about the comic book hero Batman.
Slow moving that it is, Panah Panahi has crafted a thoughtful and engaging work, which thrusts him onto the world stage as a filmmaker to be watched.
Rated PG, Hit the Road scores an 8 out of 10.
Hit the Road (PG) – 94 minutes – by Alex First
Just what is going on? That question characterises the start of this whimsical family drama, written and directed by Panah Panahi, who makes his feature film debut.
We’re on a cross country road trip in Iran with a mother, father, elder son and younger son.
Where we are going is not clear. What we can say is that there are many stops along the way.
Dad (Mohammad Hassan Madjooni) has a broken leg and is on crutches. Apparently, it has been that way for five months.
The elder son (Amin Simiar) – who is at least 20 – is at the wheel and says very little.
In fact, he is not very expressive, although his driving skills are constantly being questioned by his father.
The younger son, Rayan Sarlak, (perhaps aged four or five) is his antithesis – an Energiser bunny who can’t stop talking or sit still.
The one instruction all have been given is not to bring any mobile phones and yet the youngster has smuggled one into the car.
Now he’s distraught that his mother is making sure that the phone is buried.
Also, in the car with them is a sick dog that dad rescued and that the boy is attached to.
He doesn’t realise that the trip is really about taking his brother to a point where smugglers have been paid to take the latter across the border.
To that end, his parents have sold their house to enable that to happen.
While mum (Pantea Panahiha) understands why her eldest has to do what he is about to do, she is highly emotional about it.
This is a family that hurls insults at one another and yet cares deeply for each other.
In the case of the parents, much of their thoughts and feelings are expressed in their eyes.
There is a sense of yearning that accompanies this film. We long to learn more about the characters.
Much is left unsaid and it is up to each of us to interpret or read between the lines.
What struck me immediately was the naturalistic performances.
Mohammad Hassan Madjooni brings a comic gruffness to his role.
Pantea Panahiha is empathetic and caring. A scene late in the piece where a single teardrop forms in the corner of her left eye speaks volumes.
The real revelation for me was Rayan Sarlak. What a performance! What a find! Lively. Precocious. Immensely talented.
Compliments, too, to the cinematographer Amin Jafari, who captures expressions and landscapes magnificently. A rocky mountain range early on is particularly appealing and evocative.
As we reach the film’s conclusion, there is even a sequence that is a nod to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
That occurs as the father is having a conversation with his son about the comic book hero Batman.
Slow moving that it is, Panah Panahi has crafted a thoughtful and engaging work, which thrusts him onto the world stage as a filmmaker to be watched.
Rated PG, Hit the Road scores an 8 out of 10.
BEST BIRTHDAY EVER
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review by Nicole Stenton
Best Birthday Ever Movie Review
The movie, Best Birthday Ever was a rather slow-paced movie about a rabbit named Charlie who is excited to celebrate his 5th birthday. Unfortunately, his baby sister, Clara gets sick which results in his parents needing to put the birthday celebrations on hold so they can take her to a doctor. Being young, Charlie does not take this news too well and decides to venture to his grandmother’s house. After taking a wrong turn, Charlie’s adventure takes him through the wood where he faces a few obstacles.
The graphics in this movie didn’t seem to be at the same level as more recent animations. The story line also seemed rather slow. My eldest child said he was bored watching, while my youngest said she enjoyed it. I would recommend this movie for younger children, 6 and under.
website
review by Nicole Stenton
Best Birthday Ever Movie Review
The movie, Best Birthday Ever was a rather slow-paced movie about a rabbit named Charlie who is excited to celebrate his 5th birthday. Unfortunately, his baby sister, Clara gets sick which results in his parents needing to put the birthday celebrations on hold so they can take her to a doctor. Being young, Charlie does not take this news too well and decides to venture to his grandmother’s house. After taking a wrong turn, Charlie’s adventure takes him through the wood where he faces a few obstacles.
The graphics in this movie didn’t seem to be at the same level as more recent animations. The story line also seemed rather slow. My eldest child said he was bored watching, while my youngest said she enjoyed it. I would recommend this movie for younger children, 6 and under.
FIRE OF LOVE
website
review by Katherine Kelly
Fire of Love
Directed by Sara Dosa
Produced by Shane Boris
Duration 93 minutes
Directed by Sara Dosa, Fire of Love is a National Geographic documentary film about Maurice and Katia Krafft. The Kraffts had two loves: each other and volcanoes. They met as students in the 1960s in Strasbourg, France: Katia studied Physics and Chemistry and Maurice, Geology. Their time was spent travelling only returning to civilisation to help pay their bills by publishing books and delivering lectures. Film footage from their many journeys amounts to the most spectacular in the world. And there was a lot of it.
Footage showed Katia venturing fearlessly to the edge of a volcano to collect measurements, samples, gas readings and photos. Through this research, she achieved great fame as a volcanologist, leading to a better understanding of volcanic activity and its effects on the environment. Katia would take and document photos of the volcanoes while Maurice took videos. There was footage of new volcanoes being formed, acid rain and dangerous explosions of ash.
The film captured their affection and love for each other as they climbed and traversed the most dangerous spots of the world. They were up and close and personal with the phenomena without much in the way of trepidation. Their research of the 1970s and 1980s served to help save lives, but sadly led to them losing theirs in a pyroclastic flow whilst filming eruptions at Japan’s Mont Unzen in June 1991.
Fire of Love was recently featured at the 2022 Melbourne International Film Festival. Now on general release, it is not to be missed.
Katherine Kelly
website
review by Katherine Kelly
Fire of Love
Directed by Sara Dosa
Produced by Shane Boris
Duration 93 minutes
Directed by Sara Dosa, Fire of Love is a National Geographic documentary film about Maurice and Katia Krafft. The Kraffts had two loves: each other and volcanoes. They met as students in the 1960s in Strasbourg, France: Katia studied Physics and Chemistry and Maurice, Geology. Their time was spent travelling only returning to civilisation to help pay their bills by publishing books and delivering lectures. Film footage from their many journeys amounts to the most spectacular in the world. And there was a lot of it.
Footage showed Katia venturing fearlessly to the edge of a volcano to collect measurements, samples, gas readings and photos. Through this research, she achieved great fame as a volcanologist, leading to a better understanding of volcanic activity and its effects on the environment. Katia would take and document photos of the volcanoes while Maurice took videos. There was footage of new volcanoes being formed, acid rain and dangerous explosions of ash.
The film captured their affection and love for each other as they climbed and traversed the most dangerous spots of the world. They were up and close and personal with the phenomena without much in the way of trepidation. Their research of the 1970s and 1980s served to help save lives, but sadly led to them losing theirs in a pyroclastic flow whilst filming eruptions at Japan’s Mont Unzen in June 1991.
Fire of Love was recently featured at the 2022 Melbourne International Film Festival. Now on general release, it is not to be missed.
Katherine Kelly
BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE
website
review by Katherine Kelly
Both Sides of the Blade
Directed by Claire Denis
Cast:
Juliette Binoche as Sara
Vincent Lindon as Jean
Grégoire Colin as François
Based on a novel by Christine Angot Avec amour et acharnement, (With love and fury) Both Sides of the Blade is a 2022 French romantic drama about a love triangle.
The film opens with Sara (Juliette Binoche) and Jean (Vincent Lindon) enjoying a loving, carefree holiday by the coast. They soon return to reality in their Parisian apartment where they’d enjoyed a happy decade together. Sara returns to her job as a talk back radio host whilst Jean (having served a prison sentence) continues his search for work. Enter Francois, Sara’s ex-boyfriend, who makes Jean an offer of work in his new business concern.
Sara and Jean’s love nest morphs into that of a viper’s nest, as Sara loses sight of her equanimity on reconnecting with Francois. Whilst she retains her objectivity in her job interviewing world figures on her radio show, it disintegrates in her private life. Lies, denial and subterfuge replace the previous harmony the couple enjoyed. Sara, becoming increasingly obsessed by Francois’ attention, becomes caught up in her own double life and deception. Eventually the untenable situation explodes predictably into a melodramatic farce and loss of reason.
There was no happy ending here with very little in the way of resolution. Not that I would have expected it to be so. However, performances were excellent.
Katherine Kelly
website
review by Katherine Kelly
Both Sides of the Blade
Directed by Claire Denis
Cast:
Juliette Binoche as Sara
Vincent Lindon as Jean
Grégoire Colin as François
Based on a novel by Christine Angot Avec amour et acharnement, (With love and fury) Both Sides of the Blade is a 2022 French romantic drama about a love triangle.
The film opens with Sara (Juliette Binoche) and Jean (Vincent Lindon) enjoying a loving, carefree holiday by the coast. They soon return to reality in their Parisian apartment where they’d enjoyed a happy decade together. Sara returns to her job as a talk back radio host whilst Jean (having served a prison sentence) continues his search for work. Enter Francois, Sara’s ex-boyfriend, who makes Jean an offer of work in his new business concern.
Sara and Jean’s love nest morphs into that of a viper’s nest, as Sara loses sight of her equanimity on reconnecting with Francois. Whilst she retains her objectivity in her job interviewing world figures on her radio show, it disintegrates in her private life. Lies, denial and subterfuge replace the previous harmony the couple enjoyed. Sara, becoming increasingly obsessed by Francois’ attention, becomes caught up in her own double life and deception. Eventually the untenable situation explodes predictably into a melodramatic farce and loss of reason.
There was no happy ending here with very little in the way of resolution. Not that I would have expected it to be so. However, performances were excellent.
Katherine Kelly
BOSCH & ROCKIT
website
review by Katherine Kelly
Bosch and Rockit
Directed by Tyler Atkins
Written by Tyler Atkins and Drue Metz
Cast:
Bosch Luke Hemsworth
Rockit Rasmus King
Deb Isabel Lucas
Elisabeth Leeanna Walsman
Ash Ash Savannah La Rains
Duration: 107 minutes
Release date: 18 August 2022
Bosch (Luke Hemsworth) is a drug dealer, living in Northern New South Wales. He is caught up in a myriad of situations with Police on the take, drug barons, an estranged alcoholic wife, and a teenage son, Rockit (Rasmus King), who is in his care.
Thirteen-year-old Rockit is a top surfer. There are many scenes of him riding very challenging waves off the northern NSW coast. Such scenes are reminiscent of “Breath” from Tim Winton’s novel of the same name.
Rockit has a great attachment to his Mum, longs for her to return. Bosch leads him to believe that his Mum will return soon. In the meantime, he tells his son he is taking him on a “magical holiday”. The “magical holiday” is Bosch being on the run from the police and corrupt cops for drug dealing with his surfing community.
Bosch and Rockit was shot in Byron Bay during the pandemic. Because of this, director Tyler Atkins and his crew had the luxury of having the beach and the surrounds to themselves without the interventions from tourists or traffic.
Based on a true story, Bosch and Rockit is about the relationship of a distracted, often stoned father and his son who would rather spend his whole life surfing. It is, in a sense, a coming of age story with Rockit moving through his father’s deception, adversity, and realising that his father is who he is and will never change. With the parental shortcomings in which he finds himself, Rockit brings himself up, forgives his father, and takes control of his life. With wonderful cinematography and expert performances - especially from Luke Hemsworth and Rasmus King - this film is not to be missed.
Katherine Kelly
website
review by Katherine Kelly
Bosch and Rockit
Directed by Tyler Atkins
Written by Tyler Atkins and Drue Metz
Cast:
Bosch Luke Hemsworth
Rockit Rasmus King
Deb Isabel Lucas
Elisabeth Leeanna Walsman
Ash Ash Savannah La Rains
Duration: 107 minutes
Release date: 18 August 2022
Bosch (Luke Hemsworth) is a drug dealer, living in Northern New South Wales. He is caught up in a myriad of situations with Police on the take, drug barons, an estranged alcoholic wife, and a teenage son, Rockit (Rasmus King), who is in his care.
Thirteen-year-old Rockit is a top surfer. There are many scenes of him riding very challenging waves off the northern NSW coast. Such scenes are reminiscent of “Breath” from Tim Winton’s novel of the same name.
Rockit has a great attachment to his Mum, longs for her to return. Bosch leads him to believe that his Mum will return soon. In the meantime, he tells his son he is taking him on a “magical holiday”. The “magical holiday” is Bosch being on the run from the police and corrupt cops for drug dealing with his surfing community.
Bosch and Rockit was shot in Byron Bay during the pandemic. Because of this, director Tyler Atkins and his crew had the luxury of having the beach and the surrounds to themselves without the interventions from tourists or traffic.
Based on a true story, Bosch and Rockit is about the relationship of a distracted, often stoned father and his son who would rather spend his whole life surfing. It is, in a sense, a coming of age story with Rockit moving through his father’s deception, adversity, and realising that his father is who he is and will never change. With the parental shortcomings in which he finds himself, Rockit brings himself up, forgives his father, and takes control of his life. With wonderful cinematography and expert performances - especially from Luke Hemsworth and Rasmus King - this film is not to be missed.
Katherine Kelly
NOPE
website
review by Lylah McKenzie
From the title you can tell that NOPE is going to be a funny movie. It’s the first thing you think of when you hear suspenseful music in a horror film. This movie pulled through with the comedy aspects, it was filled with dark humour but was balanced out with enough blood and guts to be considered a thriller.
Although, while this movie was enjoyable and the acting and cinematography was incredible I was left felling as though the movie was not complete. It was like I was watching 2 separate story lines and I didn’t get the answers I need to make this movie satisfying in the end.
We learn about the mystery cloud that doesn’t move that is first thought to be hiding a UFO but then become aware it is actually a giant jelly creature that starts to become territorial and will suck you up if it sees you, so just don’t look at it. Simultaneously we learn about Jupe, - the owner of the cowboy theme park - he was a childhood actor and a survivor of a vicious monkey attack that took place in the studio (which I think he needed some serious therapy afterwards) but instead he gained an unhealthy obsession with the incident. We don’t learn anything else about Jupe, his storyline just cuts off after we learn about his past trauma.
After I finished watching the movie, I was throughly confused as to why we just saw this whole backstory of this monkey going on a killing spree so I had to do some digging to find out why this was added. It goes onto say Jupe thought he had a connection with animals due to being the only uninjured person through the gruesome event and he thought he could befriend the Alien. This was poorly shown through the movie and it honestly would’ve been the same without it, I think this movie would be great if you’re doing a film analysis on it for a high school paper to look for deeper meaning but if you’re wanting to relax and watch an actual horror movie, I’d say pick anything else.
Besides having a random plot line thrown in, the trailer really tells you all there is you need to know, there’s not much more action than what you’ve already seen. I was prepared to be on the edgy of my seat waiting to see what would happen but other than the few funny comments that were thrown around, I was quite unsatisfied.
website
review by Lylah McKenzie
From the title you can tell that NOPE is going to be a funny movie. It’s the first thing you think of when you hear suspenseful music in a horror film. This movie pulled through with the comedy aspects, it was filled with dark humour but was balanced out with enough blood and guts to be considered a thriller.
Although, while this movie was enjoyable and the acting and cinematography was incredible I was left felling as though the movie was not complete. It was like I was watching 2 separate story lines and I didn’t get the answers I need to make this movie satisfying in the end.
We learn about the mystery cloud that doesn’t move that is first thought to be hiding a UFO but then become aware it is actually a giant jelly creature that starts to become territorial and will suck you up if it sees you, so just don’t look at it. Simultaneously we learn about Jupe, - the owner of the cowboy theme park - he was a childhood actor and a survivor of a vicious monkey attack that took place in the studio (which I think he needed some serious therapy afterwards) but instead he gained an unhealthy obsession with the incident. We don’t learn anything else about Jupe, his storyline just cuts off after we learn about his past trauma.
After I finished watching the movie, I was throughly confused as to why we just saw this whole backstory of this monkey going on a killing spree so I had to do some digging to find out why this was added. It goes onto say Jupe thought he had a connection with animals due to being the only uninjured person through the gruesome event and he thought he could befriend the Alien. This was poorly shown through the movie and it honestly would’ve been the same without it, I think this movie would be great if you’re doing a film analysis on it for a high school paper to look for deeper meaning but if you’re wanting to relax and watch an actual horror movie, I’d say pick anything else.
Besides having a random plot line thrown in, the trailer really tells you all there is you need to know, there’s not much more action than what you’ve already seen. I was prepared to be on the edgy of my seat waiting to see what would happen but other than the few funny comments that were thrown around, I was quite unsatisfied.
MOONAGE DAYDREAM
website
review by: Sherry Westley
Film: Moonage Daydream
Style: New Music Documentary on David Bowie
Country: England
Director: Brett Morgen
Writer : Brett Morgan
Producer: Brett Morgan
Release : Australia : Imax 15/9/2022
Reviewer: Sherry Westley
Even well informed Bowie fans won't have seen some of the footage used in this immersive and informative film. Director/writer/producer Brett Morgen is the only
filmaker ever given access to the artists' archives, by the Bowie Estate. The film is an expression of Bowie's art and it's underlying philosophy and psychological drivers.
Mostly voiced by Bowie himself, we learn little of his
personal and domestic life, but a lot about his thoughts, his fears and their ever changing exploration.
Most of us know Bowie as a colourful singer, writer and performer. But he was a multi talented artist , working across many genres. He presented himself in performance as an animated piece of art and theater.
He lived a life that pushed boundaries, especially his own.Yet he survived an experimental personal life and a highly productive artistic life. At age forty-five he entered a second marriage with an adored second wife. It lasted until his death in 2016, 24 years.
A fascinating man.
Director Brett Morgan provides a running visual link through the film with repeated black and silver full screen animations.They portray dark, other worldly themes such as the stars, moon, the universe, and the unknown. They point to Bowie's philosophy, that the meaning of life is unknowable. Life is transcient and chaotic : " there is no scissor cut, no absolute!".
The films' sound and colouring to some extent echo
Bowie's intellectual, emotional, and artistic development: in the early parts often loud and chaotic, with harsh bright psychodelic colours .At other stages gentle, warm , very entertaining, unchallenging.
It was a bit long, but I really enjoyed the extravagance and entertainment , combined with the challenge of trying to understand the underlying source and meaning of his work. Crucially perhaps, despite the singular focus of the film, Bowìe comes across as an intelligent and very likable person!
website
review by: Sherry Westley
Film: Moonage Daydream
Style: New Music Documentary on David Bowie
Country: England
Director: Brett Morgen
Writer : Brett Morgan
Producer: Brett Morgan
Release : Australia : Imax 15/9/2022
Reviewer: Sherry Westley
Even well informed Bowie fans won't have seen some of the footage used in this immersive and informative film. Director/writer/producer Brett Morgen is the only
filmaker ever given access to the artists' archives, by the Bowie Estate. The film is an expression of Bowie's art and it's underlying philosophy and psychological drivers.
Mostly voiced by Bowie himself, we learn little of his
personal and domestic life, but a lot about his thoughts, his fears and their ever changing exploration.
Most of us know Bowie as a colourful singer, writer and performer. But he was a multi talented artist , working across many genres. He presented himself in performance as an animated piece of art and theater.
He lived a life that pushed boundaries, especially his own.Yet he survived an experimental personal life and a highly productive artistic life. At age forty-five he entered a second marriage with an adored second wife. It lasted until his death in 2016, 24 years.
A fascinating man.
Director Brett Morgan provides a running visual link through the film with repeated black and silver full screen animations.They portray dark, other worldly themes such as the stars, moon, the universe, and the unknown. They point to Bowie's philosophy, that the meaning of life is unknowable. Life is transcient and chaotic : " there is no scissor cut, no absolute!".
The films' sound and colouring to some extent echo
Bowie's intellectual, emotional, and artistic development: in the early parts often loud and chaotic, with harsh bright psychodelic colours .At other stages gentle, warm , very entertaining, unchallenging.
It was a bit long, but I really enjoyed the extravagance and entertainment , combined with the challenge of trying to understand the underlying source and meaning of his work. Crucially perhaps, despite the singular focus of the film, Bowìe comes across as an intelligent and very likable person!
THE PRINCESS
website
This is a documentary about Princess Diana (Diana Francis Spencer). The film consists exclusively of archival footage about the most important events in Diana's life: details of her personal life, marriage, birth of children and death and is released on the anniversary of her death (she died in a car accident on August 31, 1997 at the age of 36).
The documentary premiered in January 2022 at the Sundance Film Festival to trigger all different reviews from film critics.
The film tells a linear story about the life of Diana Spencer and is completely assembled from audio and video chronicles of those years from television news and other publicly available audio and video materials.
It's directed by Oscar nominee Ed Perkins (Black Sheep, Tell Me Who I Am). The viewers should expect "an intuitive immersion into the life of Diana under the constant and often obsessive gaze of the media."
The plot of the documentary, among other things, touches upon the personal relationship of Diana and Prince Charles, which for almost two decades "served as fodder for the tabloids."
“In the end, it was the media that helped crown her as the ‘People’s Princess’ by showing the world a real fallible person living among royalty. And it was the media that was her judge, jury and yes (sadly), her executioner.
"Instead of focusing on the young years of the future princess, the new project focused on the moments that swept Diana's life when she became famous all over the world." The film "is a reflection of the society of the time, revealing the concerns, fears, aspirations and desires of the public.
In addition, the creators of the movie question the idea that “something has really changed” even a quarter of a century after the tragic death of the People's Princess, who crashed in a terrible car accident in Paris, when her bodyguard tried to break away from obsessive paparazzi.
Princess Diana's funeral was attended by 3 million people, and another 2.5 billion watched the television broadcast of the ceremony.
The story of Diana, Princess of Wales, touches all hearts. Films about her were and are being shot and, honestly saying, Perkins' vision is really not new as the shots used in the film are well known to all viewers, or to anyone who is at least a little interested in the royal family.
After an exciting start, the film shows what the audience has already seen many times in the past and all the complexities and vicissitudes of the fate of Princess Diana were not disclosed.
The film has already provoked a wave of negativity though and many comment that it is necessary to leave the princess alone. I agree - some respect here would not hurt, the past should be left in the past and learnt from and, well, enough is enough IMHO.
website
This is a documentary about Princess Diana (Diana Francis Spencer). The film consists exclusively of archival footage about the most important events in Diana's life: details of her personal life, marriage, birth of children and death and is released on the anniversary of her death (she died in a car accident on August 31, 1997 at the age of 36).
The documentary premiered in January 2022 at the Sundance Film Festival to trigger all different reviews from film critics.
The film tells a linear story about the life of Diana Spencer and is completely assembled from audio and video chronicles of those years from television news and other publicly available audio and video materials.
It's directed by Oscar nominee Ed Perkins (Black Sheep, Tell Me Who I Am). The viewers should expect "an intuitive immersion into the life of Diana under the constant and often obsessive gaze of the media."
The plot of the documentary, among other things, touches upon the personal relationship of Diana and Prince Charles, which for almost two decades "served as fodder for the tabloids."
“In the end, it was the media that helped crown her as the ‘People’s Princess’ by showing the world a real fallible person living among royalty. And it was the media that was her judge, jury and yes (sadly), her executioner.
"Instead of focusing on the young years of the future princess, the new project focused on the moments that swept Diana's life when she became famous all over the world." The film "is a reflection of the society of the time, revealing the concerns, fears, aspirations and desires of the public.
In addition, the creators of the movie question the idea that “something has really changed” even a quarter of a century after the tragic death of the People's Princess, who crashed in a terrible car accident in Paris, when her bodyguard tried to break away from obsessive paparazzi.
Princess Diana's funeral was attended by 3 million people, and another 2.5 billion watched the television broadcast of the ceremony.
The story of Diana, Princess of Wales, touches all hearts. Films about her were and are being shot and, honestly saying, Perkins' vision is really not new as the shots used in the film are well known to all viewers, or to anyone who is at least a little interested in the royal family.
After an exciting start, the film shows what the audience has already seen many times in the past and all the complexities and vicissitudes of the fate of Princess Diana were not disclosed.
The film has already provoked a wave of negativity though and many comment that it is necessary to leave the princess alone. I agree - some respect here would not hurt, the past should be left in the past and learnt from and, well, enough is enough IMHO.
GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE
website
review by Katherine Kelly
Good Luck to You Leo Grande
Directed by Sophie Hyde
Written by Katy Brand
Produced by Debbie Gray
Adrian Politowski
Cast:
Emma Thompson Nancy Stokes / Susan Robinson
Daryl McCormack Leo Grande / Connor
Isabella Laughland Becky
Good Luck to you Leo Grande, by Australian Director Sophie Hyde, is a thoughtful, partially light-hearted, look at sex in middle age.
Nancy (Emma Thompson - Sense and Sensibility) a middle-aged, newly widowed ex religious studies teacher engages a male sex worker to assist in exploring her sexuality. Following decades of a repressed, pedestrian marriage, Nancy is unhappy and unfulfilled with concerns about body image and sex in later life. Her disappointing children have long since flown the nest and have their own lives.
Filmed entirely in a posh hotel room, except for a short scene in the hotel café, Good Luck to you Leo Grande is divided into four meetings, each of which displays comedy, confrontation, tension, and apprehension as a terrified Nancy steps out of her rigid, repressed existence in the search of some pleasure. Enter Leo Grande an exotic looking 20 something year old (Daryl McCormack –Peaky Blinders). Leo a kind, very engaging, non-judgmental person, sensitively plays a role akin to a psychotherapist. He is very reassuring to an extremely rigid, unhappy Nancy who has plenty to unpack.
Nancy increasingly becomes more relaxed with each meeting which leads to her overstepping a boundary, which brings the process to an impasse and eventually to an intriguing resolution.
Performances were excellent with Emma Thompson skilfully portraying the uptight woman and Daryl McCormack sensitively and reassuringly placating his client.
I feel this excellent film was of course about sex, but more importantly it encompassed non-guilty, pleasure, human communication, and personal boundaries.
Katherine Kelly
website
review by Katherine Kelly
Good Luck to You Leo Grande
Directed by Sophie Hyde
Written by Katy Brand
Produced by Debbie Gray
Adrian Politowski
Cast:
Emma Thompson Nancy Stokes / Susan Robinson
Daryl McCormack Leo Grande / Connor
Isabella Laughland Becky
Good Luck to you Leo Grande, by Australian Director Sophie Hyde, is a thoughtful, partially light-hearted, look at sex in middle age.
Nancy (Emma Thompson - Sense and Sensibility) a middle-aged, newly widowed ex religious studies teacher engages a male sex worker to assist in exploring her sexuality. Following decades of a repressed, pedestrian marriage, Nancy is unhappy and unfulfilled with concerns about body image and sex in later life. Her disappointing children have long since flown the nest and have their own lives.
Filmed entirely in a posh hotel room, except for a short scene in the hotel café, Good Luck to you Leo Grande is divided into four meetings, each of which displays comedy, confrontation, tension, and apprehension as a terrified Nancy steps out of her rigid, repressed existence in the search of some pleasure. Enter Leo Grande an exotic looking 20 something year old (Daryl McCormack –Peaky Blinders). Leo a kind, very engaging, non-judgmental person, sensitively plays a role akin to a psychotherapist. He is very reassuring to an extremely rigid, unhappy Nancy who has plenty to unpack.
Nancy increasingly becomes more relaxed with each meeting which leads to her overstepping a boundary, which brings the process to an impasse and eventually to an intriguing resolution.
Performances were excellent with Emma Thompson skilfully portraying the uptight woman and Daryl McCormack sensitively and reassuringly placating his client.
I feel this excellent film was of course about sex, but more importantly it encompassed non-guilty, pleasure, human communication, and personal boundaries.
Katherine Kelly
PRESS PLAY
website
Press PLAY is an unusual genre film that combines romance, time travel and surfing.
Time travel themes are all the rage right now. This sci-fi sub-genre of modern romantic comedy has captivated viewers who no longer wish to watch fake stories about smoldering vampires or wizards falling in love.
Press PLAY is the latest addition to this growing genre, a low-fi record that focuses more on music and emotional connections than the logistics of time travel back and forth.
This was made possible, all thanks to the sensitive direction of Greg Björkman, who took part in the project for the first time, and the dedicated lead role of Danish actress Clara Rugaard. Greg Bjorkman directed and co-wrote with James Batchelor a film based on a short story by Josh Boone
(The Fault in Our Stars).
Speaking to digital trends, the songs that are on the time travel mixtape are amazing, the soundtrack is very touching - there are songs from Japanese Breakfast, Father John Misty, Dayglow and more.
Nobody can change the past. The best we can hope for is to change the present and the future.
But what if the past was not an inaccessible place in space and time? The story gives one woman a chance to go back in time and avert a tragedy.
However, this is much easier said than done. There could be dire consequences if she succeeds.
Press Play introduces Laura and Harrison, a young couple who really like each other. They achieved many couple goals, including surfing together and making music mixtapes for each other. Laura and Harrison have the perfect romance built around their shared love of music
But the happy days end when Harrison dies in a fatal accident.
In her grief, Laura discovers that the mixtape can transport her thoughts to the literal moment she and Harrison first heard the song.
This is her chance to change everything if she can convince Harrison that she really is from the future.
Naturally, there are difficulties... In at least one of Laura's trips into the past, Harrison does not seem to know her at all.
In another time period, Harrison seemed to believe that Laura was telling the truth... and yet, even if Harrison is warned in advance, it may not be enough to change the course of history.
The mysterious man known as Cooper seems to be familiar with the intricacies of time travel, and his warning to Laura is very direct.
Press Play reminds you that love can always be replicated.
Clara Rugaard stars in the film as Laura, with Lewis Pullman as Harrison, Danny Glover as Cooper, Lyrica Okano as Chloe, and Matt Walsh as Mr. Knoll.
The film is to be released in theaters on 28 July.
website
Press PLAY is an unusual genre film that combines romance, time travel and surfing.
Time travel themes are all the rage right now. This sci-fi sub-genre of modern romantic comedy has captivated viewers who no longer wish to watch fake stories about smoldering vampires or wizards falling in love.
Press PLAY is the latest addition to this growing genre, a low-fi record that focuses more on music and emotional connections than the logistics of time travel back and forth.
This was made possible, all thanks to the sensitive direction of Greg Björkman, who took part in the project for the first time, and the dedicated lead role of Danish actress Clara Rugaard. Greg Bjorkman directed and co-wrote with James Batchelor a film based on a short story by Josh Boone
(The Fault in Our Stars).
Speaking to digital trends, the songs that are on the time travel mixtape are amazing, the soundtrack is very touching - there are songs from Japanese Breakfast, Father John Misty, Dayglow and more.
Nobody can change the past. The best we can hope for is to change the present and the future.
But what if the past was not an inaccessible place in space and time? The story gives one woman a chance to go back in time and avert a tragedy.
However, this is much easier said than done. There could be dire consequences if she succeeds.
Press Play introduces Laura and Harrison, a young couple who really like each other. They achieved many couple goals, including surfing together and making music mixtapes for each other. Laura and Harrison have the perfect romance built around their shared love of music
But the happy days end when Harrison dies in a fatal accident.
In her grief, Laura discovers that the mixtape can transport her thoughts to the literal moment she and Harrison first heard the song.
This is her chance to change everything if she can convince Harrison that she really is from the future.
Naturally, there are difficulties... In at least one of Laura's trips into the past, Harrison does not seem to know her at all.
In another time period, Harrison seemed to believe that Laura was telling the truth... and yet, even if Harrison is warned in advance, it may not be enough to change the course of history.
The mysterious man known as Cooper seems to be familiar with the intricacies of time travel, and his warning to Laura is very direct.
Press Play reminds you that love can always be replicated.
Clara Rugaard stars in the film as Laura, with Lewis Pullman as Harrison, Danny Glover as Cooper, Lyrica Okano as Chloe, and Matt Walsh as Mr. Knoll.
The film is to be released in theaters on 28 July.
review by Alex First
Press Play (PG) – 85 minutes – by Alex First
A fantasy romance, Press Play concerns two young people who meet and fall in love, before their happily ever after is struck by a boulder.
For some time, Chloe (Lyrica Okano) has been keen to set up her best friend Laura (Clara Rugaard) with her stepbrother Harrison (Lewis Pullman).
He works in a record store in Hawaii – where they all live – named Lost & Found. It is run by Cooper (Danny Glover).
When Laura and Harrison do finally come face to face, their attraction is instant. In no time, they are inseparable.
She is a talented artist, while he is looking to pursue medicine. They bond over music. He teaches her how to surf.
A noteworthy aspect of the record store is that it has a wall of pre-owned mix tapes.
As their relationship deepens, Harrison and Laura start recording their own. And then, everything stops.
However, magically and most unexpectedly, Laura gets a second chance when their mix tape transports her back into his arms. Mind you, making that permanent is a particularly difficult proposition.
Targeting a young female audience, Press Play is pleasant, fanciful, contrived fluff. If only miracles of the sort dealt with here did come true.
Populated by good looking people in a picture-perfect setting, the best way to enjoy the movie is to go with the flow and let it wash over you. “Yes”, I am asking you to suspend belief.
The detail in the storyline by James Bachelor and Greg Bjorkman (who also directs) is somewhat convoluted, even if the intent is never in doubt.
Still, I warmed to several of the straightforward characterisations, even if the narrative did have a manufactured feel.
Clara Rugaard brings her character’s driven persona to the fore. She is passionate and insistent. Her facial expressions add weight to her performance.
As he beau, Lewis Pullman has an easy-going charm.
There is a playfulness about Lyrica Okano’s characterisation of Laura’s bff.
I wasn’t quite as sold on Danny Glover’s portrayal of the ageing record store proprietor, who added life experience.
The location of Press Play is a cinematographer’s paradise and Luca Del Puppo doesn’t let us down.
What does is the appearance of the tip of a boom microphone in several scenes. Most disappointing and unprofessional.
Still, there is clearly an audience out there for those who choose to believe in the power of enduring love, as portrayed by those in the prime of their lives.
Rated PG, Press Play scores a 5½ to 6 out of 10.
A fantasy romance, Press Play concerns two young people who meet and fall in love, before their happily ever after is struck by a boulder.
For some time, Chloe (Lyrica Okano) has been keen to set up her best friend Laura (Clara Rugaard) with her stepbrother Harrison (Lewis Pullman).
He works in a record store in Hawaii – where they all live – named Lost & Found. It is run by Cooper (Danny Glover).
When Laura and Harrison do finally come face to face, their attraction is instant. In no time, they are inseparable.
She is a talented artist, while he is looking to pursue medicine. They bond over music. He teaches her how to surf.
A noteworthy aspect of the record store is that it has a wall of pre-owned mix tapes.
As their relationship deepens, Harrison and Laura start recording their own. And then, everything stops.
However, magically and most unexpectedly, Laura gets a second chance when their mix tape transports her back into his arms. Mind you, making that permanent is a particularly difficult proposition.
Targeting a young female audience, Press Play is pleasant, fanciful, contrived fluff. If only miracles of the sort dealt with here did come true.
Populated by good looking people in a picture-perfect setting, the best way to enjoy the movie is to go with the flow and let it wash over you. “Yes”, I am asking you to suspend belief.
The detail in the storyline by James Bachelor and Greg Bjorkman (who also directs) is somewhat convoluted, even if the intent is never in doubt.
Still, I warmed to several of the straightforward characterisations, even if the narrative did have a manufactured feel.
Clara Rugaard brings her character’s driven persona to the fore. She is passionate and insistent. Her facial expressions add weight to her performance.
As he beau, Lewis Pullman has an easy-going charm.
There is a playfulness about Lyrica Okano’s characterisation of Laura’s bff.
I wasn’t quite as sold on Danny Glover’s portrayal of the ageing record store proprietor, who added life experience.
The location of Press Play is a cinematographer’s paradise and Luca Del Puppo doesn’t let us down.
What does is the appearance of the tip of a boom microphone in several scenes. Most disappointing and unprofessional.
Still, there is clearly an audience out there for those who choose to believe in the power of enduring love, as portrayed by those in the prime of their lives.
Rated PG, Press Play scores a 5½ to 6 out of 10.
THE FORGIVEN
website
It's a very powerful, and at times very disturbing film, but - there are some "buts"...
There is a Christian theme of forgiveness and redemption against the backdrop the eternal confrontation between Africans and "whites"
It is a good, but too superficial and unsophisticated story about the focus of human vices framed by popular Moroccan tourist color, so loved by tourists.
Irish-born British director John Michael McDonagh ("Once Upon a Time in Ireland", "Calvary", "War Against All") correctly groped for accents, but either he was afraid, or he could not press the gas pedal to the fullest - there is something that is missing.
This is the tense story in short: while driving through the Moroccan desert to attend a lavish party of their old friends for the weekend, wealthy Londoners, David and Jo Henninger (Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain) crossing monotonous sand dunes in an SUV in pitch darkness, while intoxicated by alcohol David loses concentration and accidentally runs over a Moroccan teenager. Upon reaching their destination, David and Joe discover that most of the guests are in a state of deep intoxication. They are trying to hide the traces of what they have done and collude with the police.
The Henningers arrive at the mansion and pretend that nothing happened. They try to hide the incident even after the patrol arrives at the party. The criminals promise a big bribe if the policemen agree to hush up the case.
The boy's father learns about what happened and rushes to the pompous home of expats in search of justice, but instead finds a gaping cultural and value abyss that separates strangers from the local population... and at this moment, the ground begins to move away from under the feet of the presumptuous couple, who can not even imagine what will follow this appearance.
When the boy's father arrives in search of justice, he makes only one request for the couple: David must go with him to the desert to bury his son according to local customs.
The cast is remarkable (In addition to Fiennes and Chastain, Matt Smith, Caleb Landry Jones, Abbey Lee, Christopher Abbott, Marie-Jose Croz, Alex Jennings, Said Tugmaoui, Morad Zaoui and others took part in the filming of the film.) and the film atmosphere is ominous.
David and Jo were leading an equally laid-back and unencumbered existence. The incident seems to be one high volume trigger for what was hidden before.
Jo, the well respectful wife at this time of Davd being in the desert somersaulted with whom she could - it is an interesting contrasting line, when the husband is taken away to where his life begins to hang by a thread, the wife embarks on a "separation to the fullest."
Then the couple drove home along the road, casually discussing whether they should tell their friends. It was quite weird.
What special repentance the main characters have is not particularly noticeable, an unfortunate accident is their attitude.
The film may seem completely uncomplicated, but a lot of sense lies behind its external simplicity here and the attitude of different people to life, and the awareness of guilt by a person, and the peculiarities of the mentality, and much more.
I liked two Arabs from the servants of a rich man hosting guests, who turn out to be much wiser than their years and their social status.
These Arabs who live an ordinary miserable life appear as very wise and strong characters.
What is worth only the piercing gaze of an old man who has lost his son, his balance, control over emotions and the way of punishing the murderer of his son.
Great acting game, which left the impression of deep work on the roles of the main characters. There are few words in the film, little action, but some kind of difficult inner strength emanates from it.
website
It's a very powerful, and at times very disturbing film, but - there are some "buts"...
There is a Christian theme of forgiveness and redemption against the backdrop the eternal confrontation between Africans and "whites"
It is a good, but too superficial and unsophisticated story about the focus of human vices framed by popular Moroccan tourist color, so loved by tourists.
Irish-born British director John Michael McDonagh ("Once Upon a Time in Ireland", "Calvary", "War Against All") correctly groped for accents, but either he was afraid, or he could not press the gas pedal to the fullest - there is something that is missing.
This is the tense story in short: while driving through the Moroccan desert to attend a lavish party of their old friends for the weekend, wealthy Londoners, David and Jo Henninger (Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain) crossing monotonous sand dunes in an SUV in pitch darkness, while intoxicated by alcohol David loses concentration and accidentally runs over a Moroccan teenager. Upon reaching their destination, David and Joe discover that most of the guests are in a state of deep intoxication. They are trying to hide the traces of what they have done and collude with the police.
The Henningers arrive at the mansion and pretend that nothing happened. They try to hide the incident even after the patrol arrives at the party. The criminals promise a big bribe if the policemen agree to hush up the case.
The boy's father learns about what happened and rushes to the pompous home of expats in search of justice, but instead finds a gaping cultural and value abyss that separates strangers from the local population... and at this moment, the ground begins to move away from under the feet of the presumptuous couple, who can not even imagine what will follow this appearance.
When the boy's father arrives in search of justice, he makes only one request for the couple: David must go with him to the desert to bury his son according to local customs.
The cast is remarkable (In addition to Fiennes and Chastain, Matt Smith, Caleb Landry Jones, Abbey Lee, Christopher Abbott, Marie-Jose Croz, Alex Jennings, Said Tugmaoui, Morad Zaoui and others took part in the filming of the film.) and the film atmosphere is ominous.
David and Jo were leading an equally laid-back and unencumbered existence. The incident seems to be one high volume trigger for what was hidden before.
Jo, the well respectful wife at this time of Davd being in the desert somersaulted with whom she could - it is an interesting contrasting line, when the husband is taken away to where his life begins to hang by a thread, the wife embarks on a "separation to the fullest."
Then the couple drove home along the road, casually discussing whether they should tell their friends. It was quite weird.
What special repentance the main characters have is not particularly noticeable, an unfortunate accident is their attitude.
The film may seem completely uncomplicated, but a lot of sense lies behind its external simplicity here and the attitude of different people to life, and the awareness of guilt by a person, and the peculiarities of the mentality, and much more.
I liked two Arabs from the servants of a rich man hosting guests, who turn out to be much wiser than their years and their social status.
These Arabs who live an ordinary miserable life appear as very wise and strong characters.
What is worth only the piercing gaze of an old man who has lost his son, his balance, control over emotions and the way of punishing the murderer of his son.
Great acting game, which left the impression of deep work on the roles of the main characters. There are few words in the film, little action, but some kind of difficult inner strength emanates from it.
review by Alex First
The Forgiven (MA) – 117 minutes – by Alex First
Arrogance, entitlement and indulgence meet desert justice in a rich and textured movie by John Michael McDonagh (Cavalry). It is based on a 2012 novel by Lawrence Osborne.
Medical specialist David Henninger (Ralph Fiennes) and his wife Jo (Jessica Chastain) spend a lavish weekend with old friend Richard Galloway (Matt Smith) in Asner.
The location is hundreds of kilometres from the Moroccan capital. To get there they have to drive through the Sahara Desert.
He frequently drinks to excess and his pomposity is on show from the get go.
The openly gay Galloway has a castle, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and a lover, Dally Margolis (Caleb Landry Jones), who – too – is fond of the bottle.
Galloway has invited a group of friends – who are waited on hand and foot – to the party. No expense has been spared.
When David and Jo fail to turn up, Galloway starts to get concerned.
It turns out that David drove into and killed a Moroccan teenager, Driss (Omar Ghazaoui), the consequences of which play out for the rest of the film.
Police are ready to dismiss the incident as an accident.
Then Driss’ father Abdellah Taheri (Ismael Kanater) turns up.
He insists David accompany him to his village – a long distance away – where he intends to bury his son.
Populated by bandits and, in places, controlled by ISIS, the Sahara is a dangerous place, but David is left with little choice.
The experience is a chastening one.
Meanwhile, Jo lets her hair down with a hedonistic financial analyst, Tom Day (Christopher Abbott).
The Forgiven, which has morality at its core, has considerable merit.
The attention to detail is admirable. The location and cinematography by Larry Smith are noteworthy.
The juxtaposition between the haves and have nots couldn’t be starker and the picture painted is particularly ugly.
Galloway’s friends and lover are largely self-indulgent narcissists, with a holier-than-thou attitude.
The way John Michael McDonagh has painted it is quite sickening.
The performances are particularly strong.
Fiennes appears to revel in his dastardly characterisation of the intelligent, opinionated anti-hero.
Chastain shines as his long-suffering wife. Smith impresses as a man of even temperament who caters to other’s vices, while respecting the locals.
There is much to be gleaned, too, from Kanater’s role as the wronged father.
McDonagh’s unhurried style of filmmaking allows us to appreciate the gravity of what has occurred.
Rated MA, The Forgiven scores an 8 out of 10.
Arrogance, entitlement and indulgence meet desert justice in a rich and textured movie by John Michael McDonagh (Cavalry). It is based on a 2012 novel by Lawrence Osborne.
Medical specialist David Henninger (Ralph Fiennes) and his wife Jo (Jessica Chastain) spend a lavish weekend with old friend Richard Galloway (Matt Smith) in Asner.
The location is hundreds of kilometres from the Moroccan capital. To get there they have to drive through the Sahara Desert.
He frequently drinks to excess and his pomposity is on show from the get go.
The openly gay Galloway has a castle, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and a lover, Dally Margolis (Caleb Landry Jones), who – too – is fond of the bottle.
Galloway has invited a group of friends – who are waited on hand and foot – to the party. No expense has been spared.
When David and Jo fail to turn up, Galloway starts to get concerned.
It turns out that David drove into and killed a Moroccan teenager, Driss (Omar Ghazaoui), the consequences of which play out for the rest of the film.
Police are ready to dismiss the incident as an accident.
Then Driss’ father Abdellah Taheri (Ismael Kanater) turns up.
He insists David accompany him to his village – a long distance away – where he intends to bury his son.
Populated by bandits and, in places, controlled by ISIS, the Sahara is a dangerous place, but David is left with little choice.
The experience is a chastening one.
Meanwhile, Jo lets her hair down with a hedonistic financial analyst, Tom Day (Christopher Abbott).
The Forgiven, which has morality at its core, has considerable merit.
The attention to detail is admirable. The location and cinematography by Larry Smith are noteworthy.
The juxtaposition between the haves and have nots couldn’t be starker and the picture painted is particularly ugly.
Galloway’s friends and lover are largely self-indulgent narcissists, with a holier-than-thou attitude.
The way John Michael McDonagh has painted it is quite sickening.
The performances are particularly strong.
Fiennes appears to revel in his dastardly characterisation of the intelligent, opinionated anti-hero.
Chastain shines as his long-suffering wife. Smith impresses as a man of even temperament who caters to other’s vices, while respecting the locals.
There is much to be gleaned, too, from Kanater’s role as the wronged father.
McDonagh’s unhurried style of filmmaking allows us to appreciate the gravity of what has occurred.
Rated MA, The Forgiven scores an 8 out of 10.
FULL TIME
website
review by Katherine Kelly
Full time (A Plein Temps)
Produced by Eric Gravel
To be released 28 July 2022
Duration: 88 minutes
Cast:
Julie Laure CALAMY
Sylvie Anne SUAREZ
Mme Lusigny Geneviève MNICH
Nolan Nolan ARIZMENDI
Chloé Sasha LEMAITRE CREMASCHI
Vincent Cyril GUEÏ
Madame Delacroix Lucie GALLO
Sophie Agathe DRONNE
Lydia Mathilde WEIL
Julie (Laure Calmy Call My Agent), a single mum with two young children travels long distances to her job as head chambermaid at a posh Parisian hotel. Julie’s life is nothing short of chaotic and stressful, as she attempts to keep numerous balls in the air: her job; her ex-husband’s failure to keep alimony payments up to date; the struggle to make ends meet; the bank chasing late mortgage payments; the babysitter’s grumpiness due to Julie’s failure to collect her children on time; the babysitter’s daughter’s threats to report Julie to Welfare; and the stress of wanting to return to her previous marketing career. To top it off, unions pull a national transport strike, paralysing France’s public transport system hampering Julie’s attempts to commute the long distance to her job. Julie is at odds with her boss due to her timekeeping and unexplained absences to attend an interview for the job of her dreams.
In spite of the setbacks, Julie keeps on going in her unflappable manner. Each day starts before dawn when she prepares breakfast and children for the long day ahead – and ends after dark. I felt myself becoming stressed watching her deal with challenging situations and always in a rush along the Paris streets. To add to the tension, the music had a constant frenetic, pulsating rhythm similar to that of a train. Pauses in the music were replaced by tapping.
Full Time gives a great insight into contemporary daily life which affects us all. Calamy’s performance is first-class. No wonder she was awarded Best Actress at Venice in 2021. A film not to be missed.
Katherine Kelly
website
review by Katherine Kelly
Full time (A Plein Temps)
Produced by Eric Gravel
To be released 28 July 2022
Duration: 88 minutes
Cast:
Julie Laure CALAMY
Sylvie Anne SUAREZ
Mme Lusigny Geneviève MNICH
Nolan Nolan ARIZMENDI
Chloé Sasha LEMAITRE CREMASCHI
Vincent Cyril GUEÏ
Madame Delacroix Lucie GALLO
Sophie Agathe DRONNE
Lydia Mathilde WEIL
Julie (Laure Calmy Call My Agent), a single mum with two young children travels long distances to her job as head chambermaid at a posh Parisian hotel. Julie’s life is nothing short of chaotic and stressful, as she attempts to keep numerous balls in the air: her job; her ex-husband’s failure to keep alimony payments up to date; the struggle to make ends meet; the bank chasing late mortgage payments; the babysitter’s grumpiness due to Julie’s failure to collect her children on time; the babysitter’s daughter’s threats to report Julie to Welfare; and the stress of wanting to return to her previous marketing career. To top it off, unions pull a national transport strike, paralysing France’s public transport system hampering Julie’s attempts to commute the long distance to her job. Julie is at odds with her boss due to her timekeeping and unexplained absences to attend an interview for the job of her dreams.
In spite of the setbacks, Julie keeps on going in her unflappable manner. Each day starts before dawn when she prepares breakfast and children for the long day ahead – and ends after dark. I felt myself becoming stressed watching her deal with challenging situations and always in a rush along the Paris streets. To add to the tension, the music had a constant frenetic, pulsating rhythm similar to that of a train. Pauses in the music were replaced by tapping.
Full Time gives a great insight into contemporary daily life which affects us all. Calamy’s performance is first-class. No wonder she was awarded Best Actress at Venice in 2021. A film not to be missed.
Katherine Kelly
PRIMA FACIE
website
"A lawyer's job is not to know. It's to not know." Tessa
PRIMA FACIE (penned by Australian British playwright Suzie Miller) captured live from the intimate Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End is screening across Australia July 23.
Tessa (English actress Jodie Comer (The Last Duel, Killing Eve, Comer, Free Guy and Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker)). She has received various accolades including two British Academy Television Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Golden Globe Awards, two Critics Choice Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award. ) is a young, good lawyer. It is Jodie's debut in this one-woman play, it is a one-woman monologue that grabs your attention and disturbs your core for the entire duration of the play. Tessa has developed her way to the top of the business from the working class origins. She is to be at the very high standards of her defensive game: cross-analyze and succeed... while a sudden new case forces her to confront trails where the patriarchal energy of regulation, burden of proof and morality diverge. Prima Facie takes us to the heart of where emotion and experience meet the foundations of the business. Add to this, she is in the male-dominated profession, she wins most and best cases. Yes, loses some, but she always does a brilliant job while she charges her astronomical fees. She IS a thoroughbred.
This phenomenal play is directed by Justin Martin.
National Theater Live is presented by FilmScene in partnership with Englert Theatre and Riverside Theatre.
If you love theatre, want to experience something emotionally-massive indeed, this is the great play you must see.
Prima Facie will play in select cinemas around the country — including the Hayden Orpheum, Dendy Newtown, Palace Chauvel and Ritz Cinemas in Sydney; Cinema Nova, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Como, Palace Balwyn, Lido Cinemas, Classic Cinemas, Cameo Cinemas and Yarraville's Sun Theatre in Melbourne; and Palace James Street, Dendy Portside and Dendy Coorparoo in Brisbane. It'll also show in Palace Nova Eastend in Adelaide, as well as Luna Leederville and Luna on SX in Perth.
website
"A lawyer's job is not to know. It's to not know." Tessa
PRIMA FACIE (penned by Australian British playwright Suzie Miller) captured live from the intimate Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End is screening across Australia July 23.
Tessa (English actress Jodie Comer (The Last Duel, Killing Eve, Comer, Free Guy and Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker)). She has received various accolades including two British Academy Television Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Golden Globe Awards, two Critics Choice Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award. ) is a young, good lawyer. It is Jodie's debut in this one-woman play, it is a one-woman monologue that grabs your attention and disturbs your core for the entire duration of the play. Tessa has developed her way to the top of the business from the working class origins. She is to be at the very high standards of her defensive game: cross-analyze and succeed... while a sudden new case forces her to confront trails where the patriarchal energy of regulation, burden of proof and morality diverge. Prima Facie takes us to the heart of where emotion and experience meet the foundations of the business. Add to this, she is in the male-dominated profession, she wins most and best cases. Yes, loses some, but she always does a brilliant job while she charges her astronomical fees. She IS a thoroughbred.
This phenomenal play is directed by Justin Martin.
National Theater Live is presented by FilmScene in partnership with Englert Theatre and Riverside Theatre.
If you love theatre, want to experience something emotionally-massive indeed, this is the great play you must see.
Prima Facie will play in select cinemas around the country — including the Hayden Orpheum, Dendy Newtown, Palace Chauvel and Ritz Cinemas in Sydney; Cinema Nova, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Como, Palace Balwyn, Lido Cinemas, Classic Cinemas, Cameo Cinemas and Yarraville's Sun Theatre in Melbourne; and Palace James Street, Dendy Portside and Dendy Coorparoo in Brisbane. It'll also show in Palace Nova Eastend in Adelaide, as well as Luna Leederville and Luna on SX in Perth.
THE BLACK PHONE
website
review by Lylah McKenzie
Normally I am not one to watch a horror movie but this one has honestly changed my mind. Although I am still not a fan of jump scares - thankfully this one has minimal.
The acting from all the young kids is incredible, I specially enjoyed watching Finny (played by Mason Thames) character development as he starts off as a shy, bullied little boy who needs his little sisters help to get out of a fight to a clever, courageous fighter who escapes from the basement.
The Grabber was terrifying, not because he hurt Finny but because he didn’t. He was quite nice to the young boy and that’s what gave an eerie feeling about the character, we later learn why he didn’t hurt the boy but it definitely didn’t help how terrifying the situation was.
I think what really tied together this film was not only having the Black Phone ring and Finny be able to talk to the past victims as to how to escape but also Gwen having visions and dreams to be able to help the police find Finny. I think there is some backstory about Finny and Gwen’s mother that would make for a great prequel as we learn that she had the same visions as Gwen, but when people found out about them people used them against her.
Surprisingly there was an element of humour added to this psycho thriller that definitely help lighten the mood, using Max as a comedic relief character who had a tragic ending but never the less was a great add on to the story line with a great plot twist at the end.
I would definitely watch this movie again, and encourage my friends to watch it too.
website
review by Lylah McKenzie
Normally I am not one to watch a horror movie but this one has honestly changed my mind. Although I am still not a fan of jump scares - thankfully this one has minimal.
The acting from all the young kids is incredible, I specially enjoyed watching Finny (played by Mason Thames) character development as he starts off as a shy, bullied little boy who needs his little sisters help to get out of a fight to a clever, courageous fighter who escapes from the basement.
The Grabber was terrifying, not because he hurt Finny but because he didn’t. He was quite nice to the young boy and that’s what gave an eerie feeling about the character, we later learn why he didn’t hurt the boy but it definitely didn’t help how terrifying the situation was.
I think what really tied together this film was not only having the Black Phone ring and Finny be able to talk to the past victims as to how to escape but also Gwen having visions and dreams to be able to help the police find Finny. I think there is some backstory about Finny and Gwen’s mother that would make for a great prequel as we learn that she had the same visions as Gwen, but when people found out about them people used them against her.
Surprisingly there was an element of humour added to this psycho thriller that definitely help lighten the mood, using Max as a comedic relief character who had a tragic ending but never the less was a great add on to the story line with a great plot twist at the end.
I would definitely watch this movie again, and encourage my friends to watch it too.
